Doug Morris officially began his tenure as CEO of Sony Music Entertainment this week, and Billboard.biz has obtained the email, dated July 6, he sent to the staff. In it, he nods broadly to the challenges that both Sony and the music business have faced in recent months but concludes on a positive note.
In the weeks before his start date, former Island Def Jam head LA Reid confirmed that he will be joining Morris, his former UMG boss, at Sony as head of Epic Records, and speculation continues to surround Sylvia Rhone, who recently stepped down from her post at the helm of Universal Motown.
Under the subject line “A Message From Doug Morris, CEO, Sony Music Entertainment,” the email reads:
“As I begin my new tenure as CEO of Sony Music Entertainment, I want to let you know how pleased and excited I am to be here, and how much I look forward to getting to know everyone in the days and weeks to come. I know there has been some uncertainty in the last months, but starting now, we begin a new and important chapter in the history of our great company.
“These are challenging times for our business, but I strongly believe that this is our unique opportunity to make Sony Music the very best in the industry. A company with exceptional artistry and great talent will excel and thrive, and we have the assets and resources in place to do just that. I urge each of you to realize the potential of this moment by committing yourself more than ever to developing great music and creating vital new business models. There is no limit to what we can, and will, achieve together.
Best,
Doug”