Mumbai: Pocket FM, the world’s largest audio series platform, has appointed Abhilash Padival as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO), bolstering its leadership team as the company accelerates global expansion and advances its long-term growth strategy.
In his new role, Padival will lead Pocket FM’s global finance organisation, overseeing financial strategy, capital allocation, business planning, investor relations, compliance and corporate governance. He will also play a pivotal role in strengthening the company’s financial foundation as it expands its international footprint, invests in AI-powered storytelling and scales its entertainment platform globally.
Padival joins Pocket FM from Bank of America, where he spent more than seven years, most recently heading the bank’s Consumer Internet Investment Banking practice. During his tenure, he advised several of India’s leading startups on initial public offerings (IPOs), private capital raises and strategic mergers and acquisitions. Prior to that, he held leadership roles across corporate strategy, investments and M&A at Quess Corp, Altisource, Avendus Capital and Cyient, building nearly two decades of experience across finance, corporate strategy and business transformation.
Over the course of his career, Padival has worked closely with high-growth businesses, helping leadership teams navigate rapid scale through strategic capital allocation, operational excellence, mergers and acquisitions, and long-term value creation.
Commenting on the appointment, Rohan Nayak, Co-founder and CEO, Pocket FM, said, “Pocket FM has built one of the most exciting consumer technology companies to emerge from India, redefining storytelling for audiences across the world. As we enter our next phase of growth, strengthening our financial organisation and preparing the business for long-term global scale becomes increasingly important. Abhilash brings a rare combination of investment banking expertise, strategic thinking and operating experience. His perspective will be invaluable as we continue to invest in innovation, expand globally and build enduring value for our creators, customers and stakeholders. We are thrilled to welcome him to the Pocket FM leadership team.”
Sharing his thoughts on joining the company, Abhilash Padival, Chief Financial Officer, Pocket FM, said, “Pocket FM is creating an entirely new category at the intersection of storytelling and artificial intelligence. Its global ambition, relentless pace of innovation, and creator-first ecosystem make this an incredibly exciting time to join. I look forward to partnering with the leadership team to build a world-class finance organization, support the company’s next phase of growth, and create enduring value for our creators, audiences, employees, and shareholders.”
The appointment comes at a significant stage in Pocket FM’s growth journey as the company continues to expand its global presence, strengthen its AI-powered content ecosystem and deepen investments in technology, creator partnerships and international markets. By reinforcing its finance leadership, Pocket FM aims to support its next phase of expansion while building a scalable and sustainable global entertainment business.
