Spotify’s Daniel Ek Steps Away from CEO Role, Becomes Executive Chairman

Ek’s decision to step down follows weeks of increasing criticism over the company’s associations with controversial war technology investments. His departure from his current role at the company is scheduled for January 1, 2026. Instead of restructuring, Spotify describes the upcoming change as a leadership evolution. That’s because Ek isn’t leaving the company; rather, he will transition into a new position — Executive Chairman.

At the same time, the company also announced that Gustav Söderström, Co-President and Chief Product and Technology Officer, and Alex Norström, Co-President and Chief Business Officer, would serve as Spotify’s Co-Chief Executive Officers. Despite their roles as CO-CEOs, they will report to Ek and will also join the company’s Board of Directors, subject to shareholder approval.

According to Spotify’s announcement, the development in its leadership team reflects and “formalizes how Spotify has successfully operated since 2023, with the co-presidents largely leading strategic development and operational execution of Spotify”.

In terms of responsibilities and the structure of the role, Ek’s new position is said to resemble that of a European Chairman, marking a departure from the more traditional U.S. setup. He will oversee capital allocation, plan the long-term future of Spotify, and continue to offer support and guidance to its senior team.

“This change simply matches titles to how we already operate. In my role as Executive Chairman, I will focus on the long arc of the company and keep the Board and our co-CEOs deeply connected through my engagement,” said Ek in the press release.

Söderström and Norström will assume responsibility for the daily management and strategic direction of Spotify — tasks they have already been partly managing under Ek. They each have more than 15 years with the company, having stepped into their roles as Co-Presidents in early 2023.

“We’ve worked together for a very long time and have seen Spotify through many different chapters. While we bring different experiences and perspectives to the CEO role, we both have a strong bias to action and can’t wait to get started, knowing that we will have Daniel’s full partnership and ongoing support,” Söderström and Norström emphasised.

Although the latest “evolution” of Ek’s role at Spotify might appear to be a pivotal moment for the company, it remains uncertain whether, and to what extent, it will influence the company’s overall operations and shape the platform’s future developments. According to Ek himself, very little will change for most of the company. As he stated, “What changes is my time and focus.”

You can find Daniel Ek’s full letter to Spotify employees regarding the leadership changes in the company’s official digital newsroom.