(Bloomberg) -- Spotify Technology SA’s head of podcast studios, Julie McNamara, will leave the company after nearly three years, according to people familiar with the decision. 

Her departure, which McNamara announced in a memo to staff on Thursday, further emphasizes Spotify’s reduced ambitions in the podcast space. The company declined to comment on her exit, but in her memo, McNamara, who previously worked at Paramount Global, said she’d be returning to her creative roots, the people said. 

McNamara arrived at the company in 2021 after a spree of podcast-related acquisitions, including three studios. At that time, she oversaw Spotify’s US studios and reported to Dawn Ostroff, then serving as the streaming service’s chief content officer. Ostroff exited the company in 2023, as did Max Cutler, who oversaw podcast content and partnerships. At that point, McNamara began overseeing licensed podcast exclusives, like Call Her Daddy and Armchair Expert. 

Spotify has reduced its content slate in podcasting this past year in an effort to make the department profitable, a goal the company said it will achieve this year. The company canceled numerous programs, merged its individual studios under the Spotify Studios umbrella and laid off many podcast-focused employees.

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