Matthew Thornton is Helping to Shape Audible’s Story for Global Audiences

As our Head of Global Corporate Affairs, Matthew Thornton oversees communications about Audible. When he started with the company in 2009, it had no communications team, but Thornton’s organization has since grown to one that stretches around the world, synchronizing our brand story across multiple countries and languages, all while Audible continues to redefine audio entertainment and expand its impact work.

Thornton, who first worked as an editor for Random House and Scribner, then covered that industry for publications like Publisher’s Weekly, says that for him, joining Audible was a way to stay true to the roots of his career while being a part of something entirely new. He lives in New Jersey with his family, splitting his time between working from home and in our Newark headquarters.

How would you describe your approach to communications?

We are all, to some degree, storytellers, and I think people at Audible are particularly conscious of that. We’re a company built on words. The work that the communications team does is constantly shaping the story of Audible — who we are as a brand, what we represent to our employees and prospective employees, to our stakeholders in Newark and in our other hub locations, to reporters who write about us, and to talent that works with us. The stories we tell should inform all of these audiences but also engage and inspire them to join in our mission of spreading the joy of listening.

What drew you to Audible?

I started my career on the editorial side of print book publishing, then covered that industry for a bit, and saw Audible as a logical extension of that career path but also a radical departure from it in a way I found exciting. It was clear Don was building the future here.

What do you like best about your work?

My communications colleagues and I are lucky to work across almost every team and project at Audible, so we are truly embedded cross-functionally. Externally it’s similar — we interface with listeners, local stakeholders, media, talent, and as we scale globally we are fine-tuning our storytelling to reflect cultural nuances. Making sure Audible gets the recognition it deserves for its leadership in digital media and in creating a new performance art, a new way to consume information and entertainment — this is always rewarding.

What is the most memorable project you’ve work on at Audible?

Does anyone remember Audible for Dogs? I’ve also really enjoyed supporting a number of Audible service launches in new territories.

Lightning Round:

• Coffee or tea? Tea
• Where are you working from currently? Our Newark hub or my house, depending on the day.
• How long have you been with Audible? 13 years, 5 months.
• Dine in or take out? Dine in.
• Favorite Audible listen, go. I am consistently impressed by our growing Words + Music catalog of Audible Originals. While my own taste in music is fairly specific, the storytelling in this series transcends that in ways that have redefined my own listening.