John MacFarlane

John MacFarlane announced Jan. 10 that he would be stepping down as CEO of the Santa Barbara audio company he founded and passing leadership of Sonos to chief operations officer Patrick Spence.

“Patrick demonstrated his leadership most recently with Sonos’ success during the holiday period, but more importantly, there isn’t a person who better embodies Sonos’ values and culture,” MacFarlane said in the announcement on the company’s blog.

The company has shifted with the industry toward streaming music and anticipates the increased adoption of voice assistants for home networks, he said. MacFarlane will continue to serve as a mentor and adviser to the company, with a focus on science, technology, engineering and math education opportunities and start-ups within the industry.

“The culture must move beyond the founder, and that’s a unique path for every company,” MacFarlane wrote. “That moment has come for Sonos. I trust Patrick and the team with this growth.”

• Contact Marissa Nall at mnall@pacbiztimes.com.