Audible has tapped Zola Mashariki to head Audible Studios, the in-house publishing arm of Audible. She will lead the creation of all original content at the studio and oversee its operations, as well as develop and implement content strategy. Mashariki will be based in Los Angeles, and report to Rachel Ghiazza, executive v-p and head of U.S. content at Audible.
Mashariki is moving to Audible from One Community, formerly Good Films, where she was chief content officer. A Hollywood veteran, Mashariki previously spent 15 years at Fox Searchlight Pictures, now Searchlight Pictures, where she was senior v-p of production, overseeing an array of projects. She was named head of original programming at BET/Viacom in 2015. She also cofounded, with the late playwright August Wilson, the African Grove Institute for the Arts (AGIA), a national theatre alliance.
With the appointment of Zola, Ghiazza said, "we deepen our commitment to reimagine what audio experiences can mean for audiences,” Ghiazza said in a statement. "Zola’s track record of creating award-winning, breakout hits, her exquisite taste, production expertise, and deep understanding of the intersection of audience appetite and quality content is beyond impressive.”
"Audible is an industry leader and the go-to home for extraordinary creators and gifted auteurs,” said Mashariki. “I’m absolutely thrilled to join a best-in-class team to lead content creation, evolve our strategy, amplify original voices—both emerging and established—and deliver imaginative, immersive, and high quality audio narratives to audiences everywhere.”
