Before Audacy, Paul Suchman Took an 18-Month Surf Odyssey

Before he became chief marketing officer of radio and podcast network Audacy, Paul Suchman was torn between two worlds: a major in integrated marketing at the University of Southern California and a minor in ocean sciences driven by a fascination with sharks. Deep down, his plan was to graduate, attend the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego and become an oceanographer. After graduating, Suchman took what was supposed to be a three-month surfing trip in Australia. That journey transformed into an 18-month stay in the Land Down Under. When he returned home, his parents told him he needed to find work. Facing a fork in the road between careers in oceanography and advertising, Suchman went with the latter. "I wasn't built for Wall Street," Suchman said. "The thing that I really loved—and I loved this before I even got my first job—was the idea of using creativity, design and words to solve business problems. It was something that I was good at in school. I saw that as a place that I could add value and distinguish myself." Despite not having a mentor in the agency world, Suchman applied to Young & Rubicam (now VMLY&R) and worked in copywriting and account management. Suchman parlayed the job into more than 20 years of work at various agencies including Ogilvy & Mather, BBDO, Agency.com and WPP. Among his most noteworthy endeavors was rebranding United Airlines after it merged with Continental Airlines. "That was a real interesting project to understand what's going to be the brand coming out of Continental or United," Suchman said. "It was going to be interesting to see what was going to happen with the color schemes. There was an incredible amount of assets, from the planes to the rolling stock to the uniforms to the letterhead, the logos." He didn't stick with the agency world, though. Instead, he went on to serve as CMO of real estate and commercial services firm CBRE for more than five years. Suchman's current role started in 2019 when he became CMO of what was then still Entercom, Audacy's original name at its founding in 1968, and he steered the company's rebrand as a scaled, multiplatform audio content and entertainment company. Suchman's oceanic journey has come full circle as well. He's an executive adviser for Oceana, the largest international advocacy organization dedicated to ocean conservation. Suchman has also given back to his alma mater as a member of the advisory board of the USC Marshall School of Business. In his interactions with students, Suchman said he finds the new generation to be optimistic and enthusiastic. "They're very grounded in fundamentals, and it made me feel really good about where the world is going," he added. Big mistake Suchman had an opportunity earlier in his career to live abroad in Hong Kong or London. He turned it down because the logistics of moving his family seemed too daunting. "I wound up seeing the headwinds more than I saw the opportunity to get there." Lesson learned "The power of maintaining relationships where both parties benefit—and it's not just a networking or transactional relationship—is very important," he said. "It helps get you through the tough times." How he got the gig Suchman credited his interviewing tactic with landing the Audacy gig: Don't have a rearview mirror discussion. Instead, approach each opportunity looking forward and showing you have a perspective, bravery and humility and that you can demonstrate value at every turn and every touch point. Pro tip "Become a student of the craft and really study it," he advised. "Just say yes to any meeting, any interview, any opportunity for coffee. Finally, go forward with humble confidence."

Leadership & Talent

Audacy's CMO Began His Career in Advertising With an 18-Month Surf Odyssey

Paul Suchman opted for the corporate ladder, but hasn't left the ocean behind

Rafael Canton

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Rafael Canton