Exclusive: Former ARIA Chairman joins Valleyarm Digital board
Australian industry veteran Ed St John has joined the board of directors for locally-owned music distribution company Valleyarm Digital.
St John joins Valleyarm to guide its new focus on monetising global television, film and music content for digital rights owners all around the world.
St John has previously held the roles of Managing Director at BMG, CEO of Warner Music Australia and Chairman of ARIA. He was also a consultant on Nine’s The Voice and Seven’s X-Factor, where he booked celebrity coaches and mentors. Outside of music, St John is a mentor and advisor at private advisory group TheBoardroom.com and is executive general manager for not-for-profit organisation The Ethics Centre.
Ed St John
St John’s appointment follows the relaunch of Valleyarm Digital in June under new owners Andrew Randall and Victor Gugger. Randall, a green energy entrepreneur, is Valleyarm’s Chairman and shareholder; while Gugger, an investment banker, is CEO.
St John joins Gugger, Randall and Valleyarm Digital Director Matt Campbell on the board.
“[St John’s] long history working to drive the careers of artists is completely in line with our aims here at Valleyarm,” said Valleyarm CEO Victor Gugger. “With his guidance we will be able to really turbo-charge the building of what is a truly great Australian-owned option for artists to build revenue.”
The business has also expanded into digital talent management, landing brand placement deals for social influencers, including Jackson Brazier, Brittney Lee Saunders and Jackson O’Doherty. It’s also a YouTube Multi Channel Network partner, providing channel creation and management for clients including television producers Beyond International (Mythbusters, Numberjacks), Australian Children’s Television Foundation, Half a Cow Records and The Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
“This is a very exciting time in the evolution of content,” said St John. “New platforms and revenue models are continuing to disrupt the traditional distribution and broadcast models – and that process is now accelerating.
“Valleyarm is well positioned to grow revenue opportunities for artists and content creators across multiple genres. I’m pleased to have the opportunity to help guide this evolution as a member of Valleyarm’s board.”