Sonos Makes Tom Conrad Permanent CEO to Drive Post-App Overhaul Turnaround

Sonos Inc. removed the “interim” tag from Tom Conrad’s title, naming him chief executive officer with immediate effect. Conrad, who joined the board in 2017, stepped in as interim CEO in January after Patrick Spence resigned amid customer backlash to a troubled app redesign launched in May 2024. Since taking charge, Conrad has cut roughly 200 jobs, ended Sonos’s speaker collaboration with Ikea and reorganised the audio-equipment maker into smaller, flatter teams. In a letter to employees released on Wednesday, he said the company is now entering a “reinvention” phase focused on customer-first product development and new software experiences. The board said Conrad’s actions had restored confidence in the turnaround plan. Sonos, which faces intensifying competition from Apple and Amazon in connected audio, is expected to outline its next product and software roadmap later this year.