Warner Music Group has undergone a complete management transformation because it floated on the Nasdaq in early June final 12 months.
The majority of that transformation has taken place in markets exterior of the UK and US.
In keeping with MBW’s cataloging of bulletins from WMG over the previous 15 months, the agency has modified its native recorded music leaders in at least ten key territories all over the world because it went public.
The newest of these adjustments was introduced yesterday (August 24), with Kristen Burke set to succeed the long-running boss of Warner Music Canada – Steve Kane – as President of the Toronto-based firm.
Burke’s appointment is the most recent in a slew of serious management adjustments globally which have additionally included:
José Carlos “Charlie” Sanchez stepping down as head of Warner Music Iberia, changed by Guillermo Gonzalez (introduced June 2020);
Gerald Ang being employed as Managing Director of Warner Music Singapore (introduced July 2020);
Jonas Siljemark stepping down as head of Warner Music within the Nordics, changed by Mark Fry (introduced September 2020);
Niko Nordström stepping down as head of Warner Music Australasia, changed by Dan Rosen (Nordström has returned to Warner Music Finland as MD; introduced September 2020);
Thierry Chassagne stepping down as head of Warner Music France, changed by Alain Veille (introduced in October 2020);
Andy Mastepping down as head of Warner Music Better China, changed by Jonathan Serbin (introduced November 2020);
Tracy Fraser stepping down as head of Warner Music South Africa, changed by Temi Adeniji (introduced March 2021);
Iñigo Zabala stepping down as head of Warner Music Latin America, changed by Alejandro Duque (introduced June 2021);
Bernd Dopp stepping down as head of Warner Music Germany / Central Europe, changed by Doreen Schimk and Fabian Drebes (introduced August 2021)
That’s an uncommon quantity of chopping and altering on the high for any enterprise, not to mention a rising main file firm.
So what’s occurring?
It’s honest to say that almost all of the names exiting Warner Music Group have been veterans of the corporate. There’s clearly the chance that a few of them bought a pleasant payday in accordance with their lengthy service.
Maybe probably the most important affect on Warner’s international reshuffle, although, is the arrival of its new President, Worldwide, Recorded Music – Simon Robson – who succeeded Stu Bergen as Warner Music’s worldwide head in November final 12 months.
“In an setting the place the music enterprise is each extra globalised than ever and hyper-localised on the similar time, our worldwide management group positions us brilliantly for our subsequent section of development. And we’re tremendous excited concerning the new executives we’ve introduced in and promoted.”
Simon Robson, Warner Music
As such, Robson has been instantly accountable – working below Warner’s international recorded music CEO, Max Lousada – for orchestrating sweeping management adjustments throughout China, South Africa / Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, Central Europe, and Singapore.
At this time (August 25), MBW caught up with Robson to ask him concerning the technique behind the transformation of management in so many key international territories for WMG.
Mentioned Robson: “In an setting the place the music enterprise is each extra globalised than ever and hyper-localised on the similar time, our worldwide management group positions us brilliantly for our subsequent section of development. And we’re tremendous excited concerning the new executives we’ve introduced in and promoted. Certainly one of Warner Music’s strengths is how we have a look at artists’ careers as international from day one, and with our community of experience all over the world we ship most impression for expertise.
“These particular person management adjustments in our totally different territories have every been primarily based on distinctive circumstances. And every of the leaders who’ve left, or are leaving, accomplish that with our immense gratitude for his or her wonderful contributions over a few years. All of them care deeply about their groups and our artists and so they’ve partnered with their successors to make the transitions go easily.”
Whereas Warner’s label and company management within the US has remained stable since WMG’s IPO, Max Lousada has made another important reshuffles in his international management group, past the promotion of Simon Robson.
Put up-IPO adjustments have included the hiring of ex-Island Information exec Eric Wong as President of Recorded Music, with duty for worldwide advertising.
As well as, Lousada has employed new international leaders for instrumental Warner divisions together with WEA (Maria Weaver, employed in This autumn 2020) in addition to ADA (Cat Kreidich, promoted to President of ADA in April 2021).Music Enterprise Worldwide
