Musical Chairs -- Week 19 2021

USA

Ted Kalo, who has been the Executive Director of the Artist Rights Alliance (ARA) for the past three and a half years, will be stepping down from the Washington, DC-based non-profit organisation focusing on fair treatment for all creators in the digital world. Kalo will remain on hand to assist in the selection of his successor and will act as an advisor to the organisation moving forward. “Ted’s decision to step down as Executive Director of Artist Rights Alliance is a significant loss for our organisation,” said board member Rosanne Cash. “His brilliance in matters of policy and law, coupled with his patient guidance and unwavering vision, gave so much wind to our sails and so much clarity to our mission of protecting and advancing artists’ rights. He will be deeply missed, but we are fortunate to have benefited from his wisdom and will always count him as friend and advisor.” ARA said that under Kalo’s guidance and leadership, the organisation had become "one of the most respected and trusted voices advocating for artists and songwriters in the music policy landscape today."

The Recording Academy's Board of Trustees has decided to appoint interim CEO Harvey Mason jr., as President and CEO, effective June 1. Mason had been interim CEO, on an unpaid basis, since January 2020. Prior to that, he was Chair of the Academy's Board. The Academy said that the search committee, helped by a leading search firm, considered numerous candidates for the position. Mason's appointment "recognises his achievements in transforming the Academy in mission-critical ways." Search committee co-chairs John Burk and Leslie Ann Jones commented: "We are delighted that Harvey will remain at the helm and continue to steer the organisation through this pivotal time. As we journeyed deeper into our extensive search, it became clear that the best person for the job was Harvey. We are immensely impressed by the remarkable work he has done during his interim tenure and look forward to the continued evolution of the Academy under his effective, results-driven leadership." The Academy organises the Grammy Awards, and also has an advocacy programme, which includes the annual Grammys on the Hill event.


The Board of Trustees of the Miami-based Latin Recording Academy has promoted COO Manuel Abud to CEO, effective August 1, replacing outgoing President and CEO Gabriel Abaroa, Jr. who will become President Emeritus. The Chairman of the Board of Trustees Eduardo Hütt said: “Several candidates were considered to replace Gabriel’s unique leadership style, and we agreed that Manuel Abud meets the established criteria, excelling in ways that guarantee our organization the leadership required to accomplish its goals over the next decade. The plan was carefully executed, and Manuel was groomed over an extended period.”

Universal Music Group (UMG) appointed Richelle Parham (pictured, below) to the newly-created position of President of Global E-Commerce and Business Development, effective June 2. She will oversee UMG’s global e-commerce strategy and business development across the company’s labels, music publishing company, operating units and territories. Based in Santa Monica, California, she will report to UMG Chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge. Parham joins from West River Group, where she served as Managing Director, leading investments in the consumer experience economy. 


Lauren Wirtzer-Seawood has joined music streaming platform SoundCloud as Chief Content and Marketing Officer, effective June 1. Based in Mew York, she reports to Michael Weissman, CEO of SoundCloud. She is tasked with leading the company’s artist development, industry relations, and brand marketing strategies. Wirtzer-Seawood served as President of independent music distribution start-up UnitedMasters. Prior to that, she was the Head of Music Partnerships at Instagram.

Dan Rutman has been appointed as Director for US and Canada of digital distribution service for independent artists TuneCore. Rutman is the founder of indie label Solitaire Recordings. At the Believe-owned company, he will now lead business development in North America, as well as be responsible for Canadian artist relations and partnerships as the Head of TuneCore Canada.

British independent music company Sentric Music Group has hired Bridget O’Gara Bloom as its new Head of Sync, North America. Based in Los Angeles, O’Gara Bloom will be in charge of Sentric’s sync  efforts in the US and neighboring territories. O’Gara Bloom was the exclusive US sync representative for Warner Music UK since 2017. She reports to Sentric Founder and CEO Chris Meehan, and will work closely alongside Patrick Cloherty, who has been promoted to Head of Sync for Europe at Sentric. Cloherty will oversee strategic and operational management of the department to expand its sync business activity across multiple sectors and territories. 

EUROPE

European festivals association Yourope, which represents 108 festivals and associated members from 26 European countries, has strengthened its leadership and has relocated to Bonn in Germany. Secretary general Christof Huber, Director of Festivals at the Swiss Gadget ABC Entertainment Group and responsible for Yourope member festivals OpenAir St.Gallen and Summer Days, has become "working" chairman of Yourope's executive board. Replacing him as secretary general is HolgerJan Schmidt, who was coordinator of Yourope's sustainability-related working group Go Group (Green Operations Europe) and the association`s social engagement initiative Take A Stand. Schmidt will run Yourope's new office in Bonn, where the organisation is now registered (it was previously registered as an association in Roskilde in Denmark since 2003). 

UNITED KINGDOM

Joe Kentish (pictured, below; Picture: Billal Taright) has been promoted to President of Warner Records UK, effective from the 1st June, replacing Phil Christie who will leave the label toward the end of 2021, after five years in the role. Kentish, who joined the company in 2014 and was most recently Head of A&R, will be based in London and report to WMUK CEO Tony Harlow.


SWEDEN

Swedish tech start-up Staccs has appointed Anders Tullgren as its new CEO. After three years of development, Staccs is set to launch high-quality, premium video and audio content platform in 2021 in the Nordic region. Tullgren has more than 20 years experience in the entertainment and tech industries, most recently at HBO where he was SVP marketing for the Nordic territories.