Ronn Werre, president of the newly formed music services division at EMI, has recruited senior industry figures for new appointments in the unit’s four areas of merchandising; brand partnerships, licensing and synchronization; label services; and sales and commercial development.
Peter Palmer has been appointed SVP of global merchandising, a newly developed function at EMI that aims to maximize the merchandising revenue for its artist roster and that of its distributed labels and artists. Most recently head of retail and licensing at the world’s largest music merchandise business, Bravado, Palmer also brings experience from spells at Kraft, Procter and Gamble, and EMI Europe. He reports directly to Werre and is based in London.
Violet Gonzalez joins the brand partnerships, licensing and synchronization arm of the music services unit as senior director, sponsorship for North America. Formerly director of sales for corporate alliances at Live Nation, Gonzalez has also held sponsorship, sales and marketing roles at the Los Angeles Times, La Opinion, Luna Bacardi and Sony Pictures.
In her new post, she will be based in Los Angeles and report to Cynthia Sexton, EVP for EMI’s brand partnerships, licensing and synch group. Raf McDonnell, VP of brand partnerships, licensing and synchronization, expands his responsibility from the U.K. to all of Europe, while Lynne Leger, SVP of brand partnerships for North America, will now include Mexico in her role.
The brand partnerships, licensing and synchronization arm focuses on the placement of recordings in TV, film, commercials and games as a revenue stream and next-generation environment for music.
Dominic Pandiscia’s role as SVP/GM, label services in North America has been expanded to a global position. It offers EMI’s distributed labels as well as independent artists access to distribution, promotion and publicity, complemented by the brand partnerships, licensing and synchronization and merchandising teams. He will continue to report to Werre and be based in New York.
Michael Roe is also upped at labels services, to become VP, Europe, effective immediately. Reporting to Pandiscia, he will work on expanding label services beyond North America.
Matthew Crosswaite has been promoted to EVP, sales and commercial development for Europe. In this role, he will head up EMI Music’s sales and commercial activities in Europe and the U.K. Tom Schoemaker, SVP of sales and commercial development in Europe, assumes strategic responsibility for new channel and category development in that territory, reporting to Crosswaite.
Darren Stupak, EVP, sales and commercial development in North America, has added Mexico to his responsibilities. He is based in Los Angeles.
Stefan Blom has been promoted to EVP of sales and commercial development in territories outside North America and Europe, adding Japan to his responsibilities. In their new roles, Crosswaite, Stupak and Blom all report to Werre.
“We now have the industry’s only one-stop shop for accessing a global marketplace of traditional and non-traditional commercial partners,” said Werre in a statement. “With these new capabilities and experienced executives, EMI music services is responding to the needs of artists today and into the future.”
EMI music services was launched in November last year with an intention to provide EMI’s roster, as well as its distributed labels and independents, an expanding range of global commercial services, revenue streams and business models.
