UMG Taps Enzo Valdez to Lead Philippines Operations

Universal Music Group has appointed industry veteran Enzo Valdez to oversee operations in the Philippines, effective immediately. Valdez will serve as managing director of the Manilla-based Universal Music Philippines, home to artists including Juan Karlos, Darren Espanto and Autotellic, as well as the newly launched Def Jam Philippines.

"Enzo is a creative force, musical innovator, seasoned executive and enthusiastic entrepreneur, and the perfect person to lead Universal Music Philippines into the future," said Calvin Wong, CEO, Universal Music Southeast Asia & svp, Asia. "While UMG continues to be a powerhouse in international repertoire in the country, Enzo's appointment will allow us to grow aggressively domestic music, artist management and touring business together with the teams in the Philippines."

Valdez joins UMG from the Sindikato Group, the artist management company he founded in 2010. The firm’s client list includes Ben&Ben, Fern. and Callalily, and it has since expanded into video production and events. Valdez has also worked as an A&R and management consultant for Sony Music Philippines.

"I am excited to join the team here in the Philippines," said Valdez. "My life and career so far, has always been built around music and helping artists, so I am delighted to being able to continue doing this on a larger scale. I'm eager to learn from Calvin and the global UMG family, and I look forward to injecting my passion and creativity into the company and having many successes in the future."

IFPI's just-released Global Music Report showed positive growth across most of Asia in 2019. Excluding Japan, which saw declines due to a drop in physical sales, Asia experienced double-digit growth (+11.5%), boosted by strong uptake of paid subscription streaming.