For Suemyra Shah, Working at the Forefront of Listening is an Adventure

Suemyra Shah is drawn to adventure. She once took a four-month trip to visit 11 countries including Brazil, Madagascar, Myanmar and her family’s homeland of Kashmir. Her time as Audible’s Head of Content Legal Affairs has been an adventure, too, as it’s given her a front-row seat to a revolution in listening. “I feel like I’ve played an active role in the innovation of our business and the audio landscape in real time,” she reports.

Before joining Audible, Shah spent many years as a general counsel for a media company and in private practice at law firms in New York City. “I’ve always worked at the intersection of media, entertainment and technology and was excited to join Audible at a time when audio storytelling was starting to rapidly expand,” she explains. At first she was focused on supporting our Audible Originals, which were in their early days. Last year, Shah stepped into her new leadership role, adding audiobooks and other content beyond Originals to her purview.

Guided by our People Principle, “Imagine and Invent Before They Ask,” Shah works with a wide range of teams across the company to support the development, licensing, production and distribution of Audible’s content, helping us bring new offerings to customers and creators. These include making Audible’s selection of audiobooks available to Amazon Music Unlimited customers in the US, Canada and the UK; the launch of Audible’s new royalty model; and the release of titles like Wild With Happy, Yawara – uma história oculta do Brasil and Impact Winter Season 3.

Below Shah shares more about her leadership ethos and the “fun and action-packed journey” of her work.

What is your super power, as a leader?

Leading with empathy. Empathy, kindness and compassion are often overlooked when people think about leadership skills, especially in entertainment. In our business, relationships are the foundation of everything and I think that putting yourself in someone else’s shoes to understand where they’re coming from helps build mutual trust and respect. I strive to do that regularly to help inform any number of situations that I might encounter, whether it’s guiding a team member, advising on a business initiative or negotiating an agreement.

What are some “left turns” you took on your career journey?

When I left my first law firm, I took what some would call a “left turn” and decided to travel the world for four months with no new job lined up. I was burned out and needed a reset. Those four months were some of the best times in my life; I visited 11 countries on that trip, including places such as Madagascar, Brazil, Myanmar and my motherland Kashmir. Needless to say, it was a “right turn” in my book.

If you were stuck on a desert island and could only bring one piece of tech what would it be and why?

A turntable with a selection of my favorite vinyl records.

Lightning round

• Coffee or tea? I enjoy both, but a strong coffee in the morning is a must.
• Morning person or night owl? Night owl.
• Where are you working from currently? Home and our hub in Newark, New Jersey.
• How long have you been with Audible? Nearly six years.
• Who is your biggest inspiration, career-wise? My father. He left his homeland of Kashmir as a young man with less than $20 in his pocket in pursuit of a brighter future. He ultimately made his way to the US in the 1970s and, along the way, got two masters degrees, learned six languages and became an accomplished city planner. His relentless curiosity, drive and ambition, even in the face of overwhelming challenges, serve as a profound source of inspiration in both my life and career.
• Dine in or take out? Dine in.
• Favorite hobby? Live music—especially festivals. Right now, I’m in my jazz fest era. I went to the Newport Jazz Festival and the Blue Note Jazz Festival’s Black Radio Experience this summer. Highly recommend both.
• Favorite Audible listen, go. The Wonder of Stevie. I’m a massive Stevie Wonder fan and the podcast is such a joyful celebration of his creative genius.