In this newly created role, Maria will be responsible for enhancing Bauer Media’s podcast portfolio which includes Q Presents: The Making Of, The MOJO Innovators, Clyde 1 SuperScoreboard and the award-winning The Frank Skinner Show podcast. She will also oversee the creation of original formats with Bauer Media’s in-house team of digital audio experts.

Maria is an award-winning radio producer and podcast creator, having previously held a number of roles at the BBC. She launched Saturday Live, was Deputy Editor of Woman’s Hour and made programmes for both Radio 1 and Radio 2. In addition, she was Head of Programmes at Wise Buddah and Head of Development at Loftus Media where her projects included Clarke Peters‘ Black Music in Europe: A Hidden History.

Maria is founder of Sound Women: an organisation set up to develop and celebrate women in audio and she was awarded a Radio Academy fellowship in 2014.

Commenting on the appointment, Digital Content Director Brett Spencer said, “Maria brings a depth of knowledge and experience to Bauer Media at an exciting time for podcasts. Consumer interest is growing in the power of sound, offering advertisers highly engaged, high quality audiences”.

Maria Williams commented, “I’ve long been a fan of Bauer’s iconic publishing brands and radio stations, so I’m genuinely thrilled to get to work with people I admire, creating original new podcasts and further developing our existing offerings”.

Maria will report into Digital Content Director Brett Spencer.