Cynthia Chu Thinks It’s an Exciting Time to be at Audible

Cynthia Chu joined Audible in 2015 as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and since then, her role has expanded to CFO and Growth Officer, which includes long-term strategic business planning, financial and accounting operations, business intelligence, strategic initiatives and business development functions. Chu has forged her career working with major entertainment brands by taking risks and raising her hand for new challenges (personally, she’s even certified in windsurfing). As a mentor for the organization Women in America, and as executive sponsor of Audible’s Black Employee Network (BEN), she’s committed to driving inclusive and supportive workplace experiences. She answered some questions about what inspires her and what she’s looking forward to in the next year at Audible.

What do you like best about your work?

The many talented people we have at Audible, and the passion our employees have for bringing the best audio storytelling experience to our customers on a daily basis. That’s really inspiring to me!

What’s the most exciting thing happening for your team right now?

Audio entertainment is very dynamic right now and we’re always actively working to deliver inspiration and value for our customers and to drive growth as a business. Audible is both a leader and a pioneer and we very much have the right ingredients from an audio storytelling production standpoint, from our relationship with our creators to the millions of customers we serve on a daily basis worldwide.

Also, a lot of great brand activations are happening in the fourth quarter, which will bring Audible into more people’s lives in whole new ways, starting with our presenting sponsorship of Amazon Prime Video’s ‘Thursday Night Football Kick-Off' and ‘Prime Stories’, which gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at the teams’ preparation for the game.

What is the most memorable project you’ve worked on at Audible?

Audible Plus, our all-you-can-listen service that allows customers to stream thousands of Originals, audiobooks and podcasts.

Who is your biggest inspiration, career-wise?

My dad. It’s all about being a life-long learner and being comfortable in a new and difficult environment, and thriving in it.

Who would you invite to your dinner party of your dreams? Invitations are open to anyone living or dead, real or fictional.

Cleopatra, Michelle Obama, Queen Elizabeth I, Jesus, Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones.

Lightning Round

• Coffee or tea? Coffee.
• Morning person or night owl? Morning.
• Where are you working from currently? A hybrid of Hub + Home!
• If you could travel back in time, where would you land? Ancient Egypt.
• Dine in or take out? Take out. I like the flexibility of having a variety of food options for the family.
• Favorite weekend activity? Spending time exploring New York City with my family—really just spending quality time doing anything with my family.
• What’s your favorite Audible listen? Born a Crime by Trevor Noah.