APAC 2023

Wednesday, February 28

OPENING SESSIONS

11:00am - 11:20am ET: Ask Me Anything!

Moderated by:
Michele Cobb (Executive Director, APA)

11:30am - 12:00pm: Keynote Address - Malcolm Gladwell

Moderated by:
Michele Cobb (Executive Director, APA)

Speaker:
Malcolm Gladwell
Malcolm Gladwell is the author of seven New York Times bestsellers, including The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, Talking to Strangers, and The Bomber Mafia. He is the co-founder of Pushkin Industries, an audiobook and podcast production company that produces the podcasts Revisionist History, Against the Rules with Michael Lewis, The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos, and Broken Record.

CONCURRENT SESSIONS 1 (12:15 - 1:45PM ET)

12:15 - 1:45PM ET: Elephant in the Room (production)

Moderated by:
Stephanie Németh-Parker (Audiobook Narrator)
Stephanie is an Audie-nominated, Award-winning Audiobook Narrator, Voice Actor and Actress. With over 20 years of acting experience she is currently based in the German speaking part of Switzerland. She narrates books for both indie authors and major publishers like Macmillan and Simon & Schuster, as well as for Dreamscape and Audible Studios to name a few. She got her start doing romance novels from indie authors and now works in all genres with a special love for Thrillers, Sci-Fi/Fantasy/LitRPG, Fiction, Horror and, of course, Romance.

Speakers:
Ana Maria Allessi (Vice President, Publisher, Hachette Book Group)
Ana Maria joined Hachette Book Group in 2022. An industry veteran with over 20 years of audiobook and digital content publishing and business development experience, she supports the Hachette Audio team as they record, market, publicize and distribute audiobooks for more than 15 HBG imprints. Ana Maria’s prior experience includes Publisher of Workman Audio; she spent most of her career at HarperCollinsPublishers, working as VP, Publisher of HarperAudio and VP, Digital Innovation. She is an active member of the Board of Directors for the Audio Publisher’s Association, serving as President of the Board 2020-2023. She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Sean McManus (President, Dreamscape Media)
Sean McManus is the president of Dreamscape Media. He’s previously held executive positions at Audible, HarperCollins, and Spotify. He's also currently serving as president of the Audio Publishers Association.

P.J. Ochlan (Coach, Producer, Narrator)
P.J. Ochlan has been working in the entertainment industry for nearly 40 years with credits spanning Broadway, feature films, and numerous television guest star and series regular roles. Along the way he’s worked with many icons including Jodie Foster, Clint Eastwood, Robin Williams, Joseph Papp, and Al Pacino. With some 600 audiobook performances, P.J.'s narration has been recognized with multiple Audie Awards, Earphones Awards, Voice Arts Awards, and the Odyssey Award. P.J. is also one of the industry’s leading dialect and performance coaches, and with his company, Lepton Productions, he's produced and directed many award-winning projects from films to countless audiobooks.

Guy Oldfield (Head of Production, Macmillan)
Guy has led production at Macmillan Audio since 2018. His team produces in excess of 500 programs a year. Guy is a former BBC broadcast journalist, video producer and music TV director. He's led production teams at brands ranging from MTV News, the NFL to GQ magazine. Macmillan is his first job in the book industry. 'My mom was an audiobook librarian and I've always loved spoken word media. We publish so many amazing authors. I love applying my range of skills and experience to get the best for them and our listeners

12:15 - 1:45PM ET: Mission Audition (production)
Moderator:
Grover Gardner (Senior Audio Producer, Blackstone Publishing)
Grover Gardner is an audiobook narrator, producer and director with over 40 years experience in the industry. He has won numerous awards and is an Audiofile Magazine "Golden Voice."

Speakers:
Chris Ciulla (Narrator, Director, Producer, Publisher, CEO - Leonardo Audio)
Leonardo Audio’s mission is two-fold. First, Leonardo Audio is a regional imprint for New England. It’s developing both local narration talent and engineering/post-production teams to best support a pipeline of New England-based audiobook titles. Second, through the strategic use of audiobook production, Leonardo Audio currently assists high-market IP in achieving multimedia goals in gaming, television and film production.
Chris has narrated over 500 titles in his audiobook career. In 2023, he’s been nominated for a SOVAS award for Best Fantasy (They Split the Party, CamCat) and received two Audie nominations for Best Thriller (Snowstorm in August, Blackstone Audio) and Best Multi-Cast (Star Trek: No Man’s Land, Simon and Schuster). He’s received six Earphones Awards from AudioFile Magazine, a 2022 SOVAS nomination for Best Mystery (No One Will Miss Her, HarperCollins), and an Odyssey Award (Sadie, Macmillan). Chris is also a TV and Film actor with credits in such shows at Castle and Gotham (he dies quite well…), is a frequent video game voice actor with over 30 characters in the Fallout game series and two primary characters in the new AAA release Starfield for Bethesda, and can be heard voicing the Ultimate History Quiz on your nearest Alexa device for The History Channel/A&E.

Julie Wilson (Directing of Casting, Strategic Partnerships, & Digital Production Platforms, Award-Winning Senior Executive Producer, Penguin Random House)
Julie Wilson is an industry leader in audio storytelling and an award-winning Senior Executive Producer. ​As the Director of Casting and Strategic Partnerships at Penguin Random House Audio, she spearheads the growth of the global talent pool and partners with production, language, music, and technology companies. Recent production credits include working with Adam Grant, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Alicia Keys, Brandi Carlile, Seth Rogen, and The Tiny Chef. She created the global casting platform for voiceover, Ahab Talent, which increases diverse casting options for creators.

12:15 - 1:45PM ET: Audiobooks in the Wild (business)

Moderated by:
Amy Metsch (Associate Publisher and Director of Audio Programming at Spiegel & Grau)
Formerly Vice President, Associate Publisher, and Editorial Director of the Penguin Random House Audio. She has worked in the audiobook industry for 19 years and in publishing since 1991.

Speakers:
Eric Barnett (Director of Sales & Marketing, Supporting Cast)
Eric Barnett is a veteran of the audiobook industry with over 10 years of experience. Presently, he is the Director of Sales and Marketing for Supporting Cast, the industry’s leading podcast subscription & direct audiobook sales platform. In this role he oversees new partnerships, business expansion, and marketing strategies. Eric also serves on the board of the Audio Publishers Association. In his free time, you will find Eric spending time with his family, cheering on Cleveland sports teams, running, and playing Dungeons & Dragons!

Lizzie Breyer Bowman (Media SVP, Growth and Marketing, Lemonada)
Lizzie leads the marketing function for the full slate of 50+ podcasts at Lemonada Media. Previously, Lizzie served as managing director for national marketing and marketing capabilities at American Public Media. As an independent marketing consultant, she worked with clients ranging from large CPG companies to early-stage startups, and she spent almost 8 years at General Mills in brand management and marketing. She holds an MBA from Darden (University of Virginia) and a BA from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Her pre-MBA career was spent in journalism, at newspapers such as The New York Times and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She lives in Minneapolis, MN.

Darcy Piedmonte (Senior Sales Manager, NetGalley)
Darcy Piedmonte is the Senior Sales Manager at NetGalley, a platform that helps publishers and authors promote digital review copies and audiobooks to book advocates and industry professionals. She works closely with publishers to help them take advantage of best practices and create data-driven strategies while also introducing NetGalley to potential new subscribers. As a former educator and college counselor, Darcy carries her love of books and helping people to the NetGalley community.

12:15 - 1:45PM ET: Accessible Audiobooks: The Future of Inclusivity for Audio Audiences and Professionals (DEI)

Moderated by:
Emily Pike Stewart (Producer, Director, and Narrator - Sounds True, Inc.)
Emily Pike Stewart is an award-winning creator of audiobooks with extensive experience across the spoken word industry. She primarily produces and directs for publisher Sounds True, Inc. and narrates and directs independently. She is the producer and host of audiobook podcast The Nomad Narrator featuring in-depth, on-location interviews with narrators and authors across America.

Speakers:

Annie Donnellon (Narrator)
Annie Donnellon holds a bachelors' degree from Northern Kentucky University in vocal performance. From an early age, she spent hours reading children's books aloud to practice braille skills and reading fluency. Her voice has been described as lyrical, joyful, and authoritative, well-suited for the genres of children's literature, young adult, and self-help.

Andy Garcia (Narrator)
Andy is a Kansas City based, award winning, SAG-AFTRA Audiobook Narrator specializing in YA, LitFic, Sweet Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, and Non-Fiction. Hispano by blood, Midwestern by upbringing, she has a unique cultural heritage and lived experience of "Ni de aquí, ni de allá". As a member of the Disability community, Andy works to educate and support others in DEI initiatives. When she’s not telling stories in the studio, you'll find her with a cup of coffee, yerba mate, or tea in hand while she write books, homesteads, work puzzles, creates social media content, or dives into genealogy and other historical research.

Richard Rieman (Audiobook Wizard)
Author Richard Rieman, “The Audiobook Wizard," has narrated and produced hundreds of Indie-published audiobooks. He is the author of the award-winning “The Author’s Guide to Audiobook Creation.” Richard is Founder and CEO of Imagination Storybooks, a pioneer Nonprofit making children’s illustrated books accessible to blind and deaf children. He received a Special Recognition Audies Award for his contributions to audiobook accessibility.

CONCURRENT SESSIONS 2 (2:15 - 3:15PM ET)

2:15 - 3:15PM ET: Type (of) Casting (production)

Moderated by:
Tanya Eby (Narrator, Writer, and Casting Director - Deyan Audio)
Narrator of over 1K titles, USA Today bestselling writer and casting director for Deyan Audio.

Speakers:
Stephanie Cicatiello (Vice President-Casting, Podium Audio)
Since 2011, Stephanie has established herself as an influential figure in the audiobook industry, underscored by her Audie Award recognition. As Vice President of Casting at Podium Entertainment in Los Angeles she plays a pivotal role in realizing Podium's storyteller vision of leveraging digital-first expertise to redefine the industry and become the world's preeminent publisher. Her efforts to identify and promote diverse voice talents are in direct service to this vision, aiming to expand the range of stories available to audiences. Stephanie's approach to casting is instrumental in providing voice actors and audiobook narrators with significant opportunities, supporting their career growth, enriching the audiobook landscape, and enhancing the overall storytelling experience.

Jess Herring (Audiobook Empire)
Jess Herring is the founder and CEO of Audiobook Empire, a full-service production house catering to independent authors and producing in four languages. The Empire has now grown to include Cats Meow Productions and Lunar Audiobooks. Jess got her start in the industry as an audiobook blogger and launched a successful audiobook marketing company in 2016. She is widely regarded as an audiobook promotional specialist and can often be found on Clubhouse giving taking questions from authors and narrators alike.
Audiobook Empire is the culmination of her years of experience within the audio industry. Its primary goal is to help indie authors navigate the production process with ease, from start to finish. As the Empress herself says, "We're not just a production house, but a powerhouse!".

Rinn Kraus (Producer, Spotify)
Rinn is a Spotify producer and long time audiobook fan, who has been lucky enough to be producing and casting for 7 years. They are passionate about the titles they produce as well as elevating and empowering the performers they get the opportunity to work with. Still an avid listener in their spare time, Rinn is also known for making the occasional doodle and having a fondness of sheep.

Steve Wagner (Audio Senior Producer, Macmillan )
Steve Wagner lives in New York and has been producing at Macmillan for four years. He started in the audiobook world as an engineer 7 years ago. He co-manages Macmillan's narrator database, and casts books in all genres with a slight focus on Nonfiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror.

2:15 - 3:15PM ET: “Younion” (production)

Moderated by:
Deanna Anthony (Actor, Singer, Narrator)
Deanna Anthony, who’s been adding her voice to the mix since the late 1980s, has been an active APA and SAG AFTRA member since 2021, and is serving as DEI Mentorship Subcommittee chair, an APAC committee co-chair, and as a volunteer for the New Member Ambassador program and the SAG Awards this year. Some of her favorite collaborations have been with entertainment powerhouses like Kim Fields, Gladys Knight, Rita Coolidge, Andrea Bocelli, Patrick Cassidy, Adam Pascal, and of course, Nonfiction and Romantica authors.

Speakers:
Andrea Henderson (Business Representative, Audiobooks - SAG-AFTRA)
I started in membership at SAG-AFTRA and made the move over to audiobooks in the summer of 2022. It's a privilege and honor to work and learn from Jane and Rich.

Richard Larkin (SAG AFTRA)
TBD

Jane Love (SAG-AFTRA)
Jane Love joined the staff of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists in 1989. She holds a BA in English from the University of Virginia and an MA in Journalism and Public Affairs from the American University. Following the merger of the unions in 2012, she was promoted to Associate Executive Director of the new Washington-Mid Atlantic Local of SAG-AFTRA, overseeing all productions in Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and West Virginia. In addition, Jane, together with SAG-AFTRA colleague Rich Larkin, has led the effort to organize the Audiobook industry over the last 16 years and serves as co-Chief Negotiator for the now more than 90 audiobook contracts covering narrators and narrator/directors across the country. The union established her current position, National Director, Audiobooks, in 2021.

2:15 - 3:15PM ET: Audio Retailers: Ask Them Anything (business)

Moderated by:
Laura Gachko (Vice President of Content, RBmedia)
RBmedia is the largest independent audiobook publisher in the world. As VP of Content at RBmedia, Laura oversees the acquisition activity for the RB, HighBridge, and Ascent imprints.

Speakers:
Emily Cox (Head of Editorial - North America, Audible)
Emily Cox is a long-time Audible leader, currently serving as Head of Editorial, NA. In this role, she and her team build buzz around titles and help customers find their next great listen, driving content discovery through thoughtful curation, a suite of newsletters tailored to specific interests, interviews with authors and narrators, lists and collections that respond to search demand and trends, and more. Emily and team are committed to elevating underrepresented voices and helping listeners go deep on the content and fandoms they love. She graduated from UVA and lives in Maplewood, NJ, with her family.

Alexis Petric-Black (Director - Publisher Account Services, OverDrive, Inc)
Experienced digital content professional with two decades of experience in supply chain, business development, and delivery of ebooks and audiobooks to readers worldwide.

Suzanne Galvez (Director of Audiobook Partnerships & Editorial, Spotify)
Leader of Audiobook Partnerships and Editorial for Spotify

Mark Pearson (CEO, Libro.fm)
Mark Pearson is the CEO and co-founder of Libro.fm, the digital audiobook platform for more than 2,600 independent bookshops around the world. Prior to that he was the publisher at Pear Press. You can learn more about Libro.fm at https://libro.fm/story and through our annual social purpose reports https://libro.fm/reports

CONCURRENT SESSIONS 3 (3:30 - 5:00PM ET)

3:30 - 5:00PM ET: Prep-Position (production)

Moderated by:
Cameron Potts (Vice President, Audiobook Production - John Marshall Media)
Cameron Potts is the VP of Audiobook Production at John Marshall Media and has been with JMM since 2017. Cameron started out as an overnight editor and has worked through every facet of audiobook production on the way to his current role. He has a passion for people and process, and is endlessly curious. Cameron lives in Nashville, TN with his wife and son.

Speakers:
Ravi Bhatt (Founder & CEO, Folia)
Ravi is the Founder and CEO of Folia, a software startup that creates digital annotation tools. Folia is the first comprehensive digital annotation tool for marking up documents across devices and file types while collaborating with cutting-edge security. Ravi’s passion is turning new ideas into reality using his background in law, computer science, and communication to bring a unique perspective to his work. Prior to his life as a software entrepreneur, Ravi advised clients in high-stakes litigation on trial presentation strategy and effective jury communication. He frequently teaches and speaks on topics including product design, communication strategy, and data visualization. Ravi continues to serve the tech startup community as an active member of the Board of Directors at Indiana University Ventures, Dimension Mill (a regional tech and entrepreneurship hub), and on the Executive Dean's Advisory Board of Indiana University’s College Arts & Sciences.

Adam Fritz (CEO, Pozotron)
Adam Fritz is the CEO of Pozotron, Inc. and has been with the company since 2021. Adam has a BA and MBA, and prior to Pozotron had executive and leadership roles with multiple companies in the software and professional sport industries. Adam lives in Vancouver, Canada with his 2 sons.

Nathan Rosborough (Director of Audio Production, HarperCollins Publishers)
Nathan Rosborough (ROSS-burrow) is the Director of Audio Production at HarperCollins Publishers, managing a team that produces nearly 2000 annual titles across all of Harper's North American divisions, including the 2022 Grammy award-winning "Finding Me" by Viola Davis. He lives in Beacon, NY with his two sons and their 70-pound dog, Joy.

Finlay Stevenson (Narrator & Director)
Finlay Stevenson is an Audie-nominated, Earphones Award-winning audiobook narrator and director. She has narrated and directed titles for Penguin Random House, Hachette, and other independent publishers. She is also an audiobook prepper/researcher who has provided production assistance for over 150 titles for Big Five publishers and individual narrators. A classically trained actor and singer, she grew up in Texas and currently lives in Los Angeles, where she co-produces and stars in the critically acclaimed sci-fi/comedy serial audio drama, Midnight Burger.

3:30 - 5:00PM ET: POV 360 (production)

Speakers:
P.J. Ochlan (Coach, Producer, Narrator)
P.J. Ochlan has been working in the entertainment industry for nearly 40 years with credits spanning Broadway, feature films, and numerous television guest star and series regular roles. Along the way he’s worked with many icons including Jodie Foster, Clint Eastwood, Robin Williams, Joseph Papp, and Al Pacino. With some 600 audiobook performances, P.J.'s narration has been recognized with multiple Audie Awards, Earphones Awards, Voice Arts Awards, and the Odyssey Award. P.J. is also one of the industry’s leading dialect and performance coaches, and with his company, Lepton Productions, he's produced and directed many award-winning projects from films to countless audiobooks.

3:30 - 5:00PM ET: Snappy Statistics: Data Points and Trends (business)

Moderated by:
Michele Cobb (APA Executive Director)

Speakers:
Paul Abbassi (Founder, Bookstat)
TBD

Laura Ivey (Director of Research, Edison Research)
Laura Ivey is a Director of Research at Edison Research. She utilizes original datasets from Edison, including those on podcast listening, streaming, radio listening, and more to help create the Weekly Insights series. She is a member of the Share of Ear team and works with subscribers across the U.S. to understand and apply audio research. She is a frequent presenter, both stateside and internationally. Ivey began her career in local radio sales in Knoxville, Tennessee, and applied that experience to her years at Arbitron and Nielsen. She believes in the power of quality research.

Kristen McLean (Executive Director, primary analyst, Books & Entertainment - Circana)
Kristen McLean is the executive director of the newly-created Circana Entertainment Knowledge Group, a thought leadership collective within the global entertainment group which covers toys, books, video games, and media entertainment. A widely recognized expert in licensing and cross-entertainment consumer behavior, she works with a range of Circana's largest entertainment, retail, and media clients to uncover key cultural trends to drive strategic decision-making and help clients understand today's quickly evolving consumer.

SOCIAL (5:00-7:00pm ET)

5:00pm - 7:00pm: Virtual Social