APRA recruits Alison Wright for Head Membership role
Alison Wright is APRA’s new Divisional Head Membership, TIO can reveal.
With effect from today (Aug. 23), Wright will oversee the strategy, framework and the roadmap for its membership division to “deliver best-in-class efficient and effective service to the organisation’s songwriter, composer and publisher membership,” according to a statement.
She relocates to APRA AMCOS’ Melbourne office from Canberra, where she has recently served as CEO of the National Health Cooperative.
Boasting more than 20 years’ experience in leadership roles across different industries, the incoming executive is no “stranger to the arts sector or to leading a membership function,” reads the APRA memo.
A well-travelled industry professional, Wright’s CV includes stints with the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, the ABC and with Southern Cross Austero in Perth.
Alison Wright
Prior to leading the National Health Co-op, she served as Assistant Director, Engagement & Development at the National Gallery of Australia, and enjoyed a three-year stint as Managing Partner, Red Bridge Communications, Shanghai, China.
A trained journalist, Wright is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors course, and a former Board Director of the ACT Domestic Violence Crisis Service.
Wright’s appointment was announced to APRA’s publisher members, and to the PRO’s staff on Friday afternoon (Aug. 20), and in a media statement Monday morning.
“Alison’s strengths as a strategic thinker, relationship-builder, commercial manager, collaborator and communicator, position her to excel in leading our membership team to deliver world class service to our members. We’re thrilled to have her on board as a senior leader in our organisation,” comments APRA AMCOS CEO Dean Ormston.
APRA’s latest recruit follows the departure of long-serving Head of Member Services Jana Gibson.
Gibson joined APRA 18 years earlier, and was credited with guiding the Song Summit event series from 2008 – 2012; revitalising the Art Music Awards; instigating significant business intelligence tools for members, and improving initiatives and services to benefit the membership; commissioning research into women screen composers’ career barriers and more.
Ahead of her departure in late June, Gibson was said to have “made an incredible contribution to the public profile of the company, from shaping the APRA Awards programs as Events Manager, to leading the Communications & Events teams, and finally to taking on leadership of the Member Services Division,” an official statement reads.
Though based in Victoria, Wright will assume the lion’s share of Gibson’s duties.
“I hope to build on the exceptional work of the division and continue to shine a light on the power and importance of the music industry through our members,” Wright enthuses.
This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.