Chris Williams Departing iHeart

• In a surprising announcement, 17-year iHeartMedia veteran Chris Williams announced he would be stepping down as iHeartRadio GM & Chief Product Officer and leaving the company after Labor Day. Williams made his plans official in a lengthy weekend LinkedIn post that reads, in part, “I’m taking the leap and leaving my position at iHeart. Let’s face it, I have a short attention span. 17 years is about all you can hope to keep my focus before I’m bound to need something shiny and new (which really caught my wife by surprise in my wedding vows). Plus, I’m pretty sure that the advice I’ve picked up from mentors over the years suggested that the best time to make dramatic career moves is at the onset of a recession, with historical rates of inflation and with the world seemingly on fire every day. So… ‘impeccable timing’ and ‘good listener’ are skills I’ll be sure to showcase on my resume.”

Williams added, “It is a voluntary and amicable departure. I shared my intentions with iHeart months ago and I’ve continued to work throughout the summer to make this a smooth transition. While this isn’t breaking news for iHeart, it was time to make it LinkedIn official. I’ll continue as GM & Chief Product Officer through Labor Day to ensure a productive hand-off and then my 17-year run at iHeartMedia comes to a close. What a run! The opportunities and trust that iHeart has placed in me have changed my life, and the lives of my family and opened up an entirely new career trajectory going forward.”

Wrapping up, Williams said, “Wherever I sign on for my next 17 years, I look forward to another amazing run, creating products that are authentic, impactful, and long-term. But most importantly, I’m excited to bring together another collection of brilliant, creative, and gracious people who inspire each other to achieve more than we ever could individually. When I find a destination that asks me to do that again, I’ll let you know where to find me!”