SPOTLIGHT: ERIN STYLES
Public Affairs Leadership Team, Spotify
Erin Styles is a media, technology, entertainment and advertising communications executive and pop culture enthusiast. As part of Spotify’s Public Affairs and Communications Leadership teams, Erin oversees global employee communications as well as the 360 communications strategy for the platform’s advertising business and platform. Her responsibilities include crisis communications, owned channel development, internal communications and executive positioning. She’s led executions at leading industry events like CES and Cannes Lions and led 360 communications for Spotify’s acquisitions of Megaphone, Podsights, Chartable and Whooshkaa. Before joining Spotify in 2017, Erin held strategic communications, experiential and media relations roles at Publicis Media, FerenComm and NBCUniversal. She started her career as a Page at NBC. Erin is a graduate of New York University and a 2023 Ad Age 40 Under 40 honoree.
NYWICI WANTS TO KNOW:
If you could have one superpower, which would you choose?
Temporal Duplication
Tell me about the first job you’ve ever held.
During my senior year of high school, I was a sales associate at Victoria’s Secret. I was a long-time lover of the brand, especially during the holiday season (the music, the santa clause skirts, the bling!), so it was a dream to walk the floor during my shifts. The discount was A+, too.
What energizes and drains you when you’re at work?
Brainstorm sessions that call for pushing boundaries, coaching peers and my direct reports, prepping executives for interviews or speaking engagements energize me. Navigating politics and meetings for meetings sake drown me (but I do understand why they can be necessary to landing a strong result).
What’s your process for turning a bad day into a good one?
I make myself (mostly) unreachable by anyone other than my husband, my family and my two best friends. I put my phone on do not disturb, I lock myself out of all social apps, and I focus on self-care, which can look many different ways. It can be a short walk around my neighborhood, a long bath, or a long nail salon appointment at my favorite Japanese salon.
Why NYWICI?
I’m inspired by the many illustrious women who have counted themselves among their ranks. I hope to use my influence as a board member to inspire women in the early stages of their careers and diversify the playing field to ensure that future communications executives reflect all walks of life.