EMI has made a number of key appointments to its new Music Services’ division. Merchandising and packaged goods veteran Peter Palmer will lead EMI’s global Merchandising group. Dominic Pandiscia will head a global Label Services unit and Violet Gonzalez, who joins EMI from Live Nation, will establish a new sponsorship department.
“Music Services is all about delivering revenues to EMI’s artists, as well as to the independent label and artist community. We now have the industry’s only one-stop shop for accessing a global marketplace of traditional and non-traditional commercial partners,” said EMI Music Services President Ronn Werre. “This team has already shown that focus and solid execution can provide unique value to EMI’s roster and associated artists in key functions like licensing, synch and distribution and we are now expanding that offering to include merchandising and sponsorship.”
AN EXTENSIVE LIST OF OTHER APPOINTMENTS & KEY FUNCTIONS:
From the press release:
New Merchandising Group
Peter Palmer has been appointed Senior Vice President of Global Merchandising and is leading a newly-established capability at EMI in which he will drive efforts to maximize EMI’s merchandising revenue for its artist roster, as well as for third-party distributed labels and artists. Palmer brings experience in the merchandising, music and packaged goods industries, having also worked with companies such as Kraft and Procter & Gamble. From 1998 to 2001, Palmer worked for EMI in Europe as Vice President, Commercial Operations. He reports directly to Ronn Werre and is based in London.
Global Expansion of Label Services
Dominic Pandiscia Senior Vice President/GM, Label Services, has expanded his role to a global remit from his initial position in North America. Now a worldwide unit, Label Services will offer a flexible menu of services and access to new revenue streams to distributed labels and independent artists, including distribution, promotion and publicity, as well as the capabilities of its Brand Partnerships, Licensing and Synchronization team and its new Merchandise group. Pandiscia will continue to report to Werre and will remain based in New York.
label Services is currently working closely with independent labels such as Welk Music Group’s Vanguard and Sugar Hill, Lady Sovereign’s new label and UK indie New State together with individual artists such as platinum-selling artist Bobby Valentino and his new Blu Kolla Dreams label.
In addition, Michael Roe has been promoted to Vice President, Label Services, Europe with immediate effect. He continues to be based in London and will now report to Dominic Pandiscia. In this role, he will coordinate with Pandiscia to expand Label Services’ reach outside of North America.
Brand Partnerships, Licensing and Synchronization
Violet Gonzalez has been appointed to the newly-created position of Senior Director, Sponsorship, North America, reporting to Cynthia Sexton, Executive Vice President for EMI’s Brand Partnerships, Licensing and Synch group. Gonzalez is based Los Angeles and joins EMI from Live Nation, where she was Director of Sales for Corporate Alliances, creating strategic marketing and sponsorship partnerships between brands and Live Nation properties. She has also held sponsorship, sales and marketing roles at the Los Angeles Times, La Opinion, Luna Bacardi and Sony Pictures.
Raf McDonnell, VP of Brand Partnerships, Licensing and Synchronization, expands his role from his initial focus on the UK to all of Europe. McDonnell is now responsible for all EMI Brand Partnerships, Licensing and Synchronization functions, including sponsorship, with major brands and agencies across Europe.
Lynne Leger, Senior Vice President of Brand Partnerships, North America, will now add Mexico to her responsibilities. Leger and McDonnell continue to report to Cynthia Sexton.
Under Sexton’s direction, EMI’s Brand Partnerships, Licensing and Synchronization group are driving revenues for EMI and independent artists by securing placement of recordings in TV, film and commercials and games as well as by creating next-generation uses of music. The group recently worked with game developer Tapulous to create the hot-selling Tap Tap Dance iPhone application and is working with Apple Corps and Harmonix to launch an interactive, Beatles-themed game due out later this year.
Sales and Commercial Development
Matthew Crosswaite has been promoted to the position of Executive Vice President, Sales and Commercial Development, Europe, leading EMI Music’s sales and commercial activities across Europe including the UK.
Reporting to Crosswaite is Tom Schoemaker, SVP, Sales and Commercial Development, Europe. Schoemaker also assumes strategic responsibility for new channel development and category management in Europe.
Darren Stupak, Executive Vice President, Sales and Commercial Development, North America, has added Mexico to his responsibilities. He is based in Los Angeles.
Stefan Blom has been promoted to EVP, Sales and Commercial Development, in territories outside of North America and Europe, adding Japan to his existing responsibilities.
Crosswaite, Stupak and Blom all report to Ronn Werre in their Sales and Commercial Development roles.
