52 MusicWeek 04.05.12 PEOPLE
PERSONNEL DONALD AND TERRY TAKE TOP ROLES AT COLUMBIA COLUMBIA UK / SONY
wealth of experience between them. Their complementary skills will drive Columbia to new creative and commercial heights.” Terry, a previous Music Week
MIKE SMITH (left) has left his MD role at the Sony label, and has been replaced by new co- presidents ALISON DONALD (right) and MARK TERRY. The duo will assume all
responsibility for the running of the imprint and will report to Sony Music chairman and CEO Nick Gatfield. Gatfield said of Smith’s
departure: “I want to thank Mike for his contribution to Columbia Records over the last six years. He is a strong creative executive and I wish him well in all his future endeavours. We are actively exploring ways for us to work together in the future.” Of the new appointments, he
commented: “Alison and Mark are exceptional executives with a
Award winner, left his role as general manager at Atlantic Records in February – where he served for two years, steering campaigns for Paulo Nutini and Bruno Mars, as well as developing those that broke Plan B, Rumer, Ed Sheeran and Christina Perri. He said of his new role: “I’m
really excited to be joining Nick at Sony and be working alongside Alison. Columbia is an iconic label with an incredible heritage and I can’t wait to join the team, and with Alison help take it to new successes.” Donald joined Columbia
Records in September 2011 as senior director of A&R. Smith recruited her, calling her “one of the most accomplished executives in the business”. Previously she had been managing director of Chrysalis Music (signing artists including Laura Marling, Fleet Foxes, and Cee Lo Green), where
she served for ten years, and head of A&R at Warner Chappell Music. She said of her new role: “ I’m
looking forward to the new challenges ahead at Columbia, and I am delighted to be working alongside Mark as we take Columbia from strength to strength.”
NORDOFF ROBBINS
Following 21 years at the music therapy charity serving as director, MD and CEO, PAULINE ETKIN will step down
from her post at the national music therapy charity in early 2013 as she retires. During Etkin’s total of 28 years
at Nordoff Robbins, she also worked as a music therapist with children and adults and headed up the organisation’s Training Programme for over 10 years. From 2004 onwards, she
facilitated the expansion of the charity from being London- based to the national charity that it is today. Nordoff Robbins chairman,
David Munns said: “The organisation has gone through great change and growth under Pauline’s strong and focused leadership, and the legacy she leaves is one which she should be proud of. “On behalf of everyone whose
life she has touched and harnessed with her passion and commitment, I would like to thank Pauline for all that she has given and achieved.”
UNIVERSAL SIMON GAVIN has left Universal Music after almost two decades at the company. Most recently
Gavin enjoyed huge success with Duffy’s debut 2008 album Rockferry. He said: “I’ve had an amazing
18 years working for Universal and have been privileged to have been managing director for two legendary labels, A&M and Verve. I’m proud to have signed and A&R’d some of Universal’s most successful global acts.” Elsewhere at Unviersal, ZACH
HOROWITZ has been appointed chairman and CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group, moving from his position as president and chief operating officer at UMG. He will still oversee the
company’s government relations and public policy activities in his new role, as well as retaining his status as a board member for both UMG Management and Vevo.
Got any personnel news you’d like to share? Think your big break might inspire others? Send your info to
Tina.Hart@intentmedia.co.uk
he became MD of Decca-affiliated label Verve - it was confirmed last week that Universal has closed the UK division of the imprint. Previously, while running A&M,
www.musicweek.com
NEED TO KNOW #27 Chris Smith, BASCA, PCAM, CRA
Before becoming a representative at various music organisations, Smith established himself as one of the UK’s leading producers and composers of media music having created pieces for national, pan-European and global advertisers including Budweiser, Coca- Cola, Expedia, Philips, Renault. This is in addition to songwriting and an abundance of TV and radio work and scores for the screen and stage. He is actively engaged with
issues facing the music industry and sits on the board of PCAM (Society for Producers & Composers of Applied Music) and the committee of the Creators’ Rights Alliance (CRA). For the past three years he
served as one of BASCA’s (British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors) media executives and acted as its representative to the Federation of Film &
Week by week, build the best contact book in the business
MY BIG BREAK Mel Brown, Founder, Impressive PR
How UK luminaries arrived in the music industry…
Audio-Visual Composers of Europe (FFACE).
“My big break came around 23 years ago when I offered myself up as an intern to the press department at Arista Records. After three months I had made myself indispensable and was then made permanent and promoted to full publicist with my own roster of acts, working with many huge industry names including Simon Cowell, Martin Heath, Denis Ingoldsby, Paul Hitchman and Nigel Grainge. These A&R guys all impacted on the kind of acts I worked on, which was extremely broad (from pop to rock and everything in-between). They gave me an extremely good foundation. I have gone on to run a successful PR company looking after all kinds of music, now 15 years old, and with a team of nine staff. Without the encouragement of my fantastic mentors Sue Brown, Anton Pace, Judith Weaterton, Chris Carr and Pandora George I may not be doing music PR now – those people were key in the development of the skills I have today.”
TOP TIP:Work experience is invaluable. I have personally hired many interns
who have turned out to be amazing publicists. Three month stints are usually best. I would interview anyone that has those kind of internships on their CV above anyone else when I look for the assistant role. They are the stepping stone into PR.
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