Daniel Ek steps away from CEO role to become executive chairman

Spotify announced today that founder and CEO Daniel Ek will transition to the role of Executive Chairman as of January 1, 2026, while Gustav Söderström, Co-President and Chief Product & Technology Officer, and Alex Norström, Co-President and Chief Business Officer, will assume the roles of co-CEOs.

While today’s announcement was somewhat surprising, at least the timing of it, speculation around Ek’s future has been building for some time, given his larger share sales, increased investments, and external board positions. In addition, the appointment of Söderström and Norström as co-presidents in 2023 already signaled that a gradual shift in leadership responsibilities could be underway.

In his new role, Ek will focus on long-term strategy, capital allocation, and the major strategic decisions shaping Spotify’s future. The position reflects a European chairman model, meaning he will remain actively engaged in the company and closely connected to the leadership team. In his message to employees, Ek emphasized that Spotify has effectively been operationally led by Söderström and Norström for several years, and that this change is largely about formalizing an existing structure.

From our perspective, we do not see today’s news as altering the fundamentals or outlook for Spotify. Both Söderström and Norström have been with the company for well over 15 years and have played central roles in shaping its product, technology, and business operations. Ek’s continued active involvement in strategic decision-making further supports continuity. That said, we are not surprised by today’s share price reaction (down around 3% in pre-market), reflecting the market’s recognition of Ek’s pivotal role in Spotify’s success and his outsized contribution to disrupting the music industry over the past two decades.