'The Diary of a CEO' star Steven Bartlett has lost 4 key podcast staffers in recent months - Business Insider

What the report says

Business Insider reported that Steven Bartlett, host of “The Diary of a CEO,” has seen four senior UK-based podcast employees leave in the past five months while the show expands internationally and Bartlett builds out FlightStory, his wider media business. The departures include Jack Sylvester, who described himself as a cofounder of the podcast and helped grow its YouTube presence, along with executive producer Jem Erith, trailers director Anthony Smith, and Grace Miller, whose title was head of failure and experimentation.

A FlightStory spokesperson told Business Insider the exits had been planned over nearly a year and had Bartlett’s backing, saying the staffers had joined early in their careers, risen into senior posts and left on positive terms. Business Insider also cited social media posts from the four departing employees saying they chose to leave and did not have specific next plans. Bartlett publicly praised Sylvester’s contribution to the podcast, according to the report.

The staff changes come as “The Diary of a CEO,” now nine years old, pushes further beyond its UK origins. Business Insider reported that Bartlett has moved to Los Angeles, opened a production studio there and is increasing the show’s US footprint. The podcast, which began with business-focused interviews, now also features creators and experts in health, addiction and personal development.

The development matters because the departed employees were described by former staffers as central to the show’s production, even as turnover is common in startup-style media companies. Business Insider reported that FlightStory has about 150 employees, recently raised an eight-figure investment round, and is adding creator, speaker and social distribution businesses around Bartlett’s audience.