MELBOURNE, Australia — Mark Ashbridge, managing director of Festival Mushroom Records in New Zealand, is to join Warner Music Australasia in the role as VP, marketing and promotions.
In his new Sydney-based post, Ashbridge will oversee the label, new media, media buying, promotions and publicity departments for Warner Australasia. He reports to the company’s president/CEO Ed St. John.
“My five plus years with FMR have been the most rewarding of my career to date,” said Ashbridge, who will relocate on Auckland on Aug. 12. “I shall especially miss the thrill of helping establish music careers for FMR’s New Zealand acts both here and abroad.”
Multi-platinum domestic sellers as Scribe, P Money and the D4, have given Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp.-owned FMR roughly 20% of the NZ market, according to retail estimates.
FMR NZ will now be run by a management team — comprising of GM of operations and finance Darryl Parker, GM of A&R Ashley Page and promotions manager Jonathan Hughes. The triumvirate of executives will report to Michael Parisi, Melbourne-based MD of FMR Australia.
