Warner/Chappell Music has appointed Jim Rondinelli to the new position of senior VP, digital strategy and business development.
Rondinelli’s responsibilities will include actively searching for new business opportunities for the music publisher and creating more cooperative relationships with record labels, handset manufacturers, mobile operators, digital music services and software developers. He will also be establishing standards and practices to facilitate the creation of new, technology-based distribution channels for the publisher’s assets.
Based in New York, Rondinelli will report to Warner/Chappell chairman/CEO Richard Blackstone.
“The creation of this role sends a clear signal that Warner/Chappell is committed to new and emerging opportunities for our publishing assets in the digital space,” said Blackstone. “Jim has extensive experience in creating business opportunities at the intersection of entertainment and technology. I look forward to working with him in an effort to establish Warner/Chappell as a leader in the digital music arena.”
Rondinelli will also work closely with Warner Music Group’s digital strategy and business development team.
“We’re pleased to have Jim join the WMG family,” said Alex Zubillaga, executive VP, digital strategy and business development. “The coordination of our digital efforts in both our recorded music and music publishing businesses is a critical component of our overall strategy and Jim is the ideal executive to help us in this endeavor.”
Rondinelli previously was portfolio advisor at venture capital firm Avalon LLC. Prior to working at Avalon, he was senior VP of MP3.com where he identified new revenue opportunities for the company and launched initiatives to develop and license technological assets such as content database systems and e-mail marketing systems to the music industry.
He also has an extensive background in the music industry having produced, mixed and engineered gold and platinum-selling albums for artists including Wilco, Everclear, the Jayhawks and Matthew Sweet.
