Musical Chairs: Jesse Lubitz joins AIR; Gemma Mumford exits Shock; Joseph Groth at SEA; Live Nation names strategy head; New owner for NZ festival

Jesse Lubitz joins AIR

Jesse Lubitz joins the Association of Independent Record Labels (AIR) as Membership & Operations Manager, effective May 25. He was most recently at APRA AMCOS in the Writer Services Team for five years. He was also band manager and principal member of Melbourne indie-folk band Tinpan Orange.

Peter Davidson gets GPD role at CRN

Pete Davidson is the new Group Program Director at Capital Radio Network. He replaces Don Dawkins who has resigned and leaves the network at the end of June.

Gemma Mumford exits Shock

Shock’s Melbourne-based Communications Manager Gemma Mumford has left the company for a new job in Sydney.

Joseph Groth at SEA

Joseph Groth replaces Rachel McLarnon as Music Director and morning announcer at 91.9 Sea FM Sunshine Coast. He was previously Music Director, announcer and Acting PD at Power FM Bega. McLarnon is new MD and announcer at NX FM Newcastle.

Globally expanding Live Nation names strategy head

As Live Nation globally expands its concert flywheel and ticketing business, it brought in Jordan Zachary as its Chief Strategy Officer. He was MD at global merchant bank The Raine Group, and worked with Live Nation on its festival strategy and deals as the acquisition of Austin-based C3 Presents and programming partnership with Vice.

Josh Earl joins Triple R

Comedian Josh Earl joins Melbourne community radio station Triple R breakfast team from June 9, after Declan Fay’s decision to step down from the mic. Fay just wound up shows at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Breakfasters Alicia Sometimes and Steve Wide are joined by Chris Hatzis in the interim.

ASCAP names Clara Kim as General Counsel

US performance rights society ASCAP appointed Clara Kim to the roles of executive vice president and general counsel, effective June 1. She was EVP, business and legal affairs, of National Geographic Channels US and International, overseeing their US and global businesses. Based in New York, she replaces Elizabeth Matthews who became the body’s CEO in January.

Mike Cooper departs 3BA

After 16 years at 3BA Ballarat in regional Victoria, Mike Cooper bowed out.

New owner for NZ festival

New Zealand’s New Years Day festival Rhythm and Alps was bought out by Alex Turnbull who runs Bench Music. The festival was set up two years ago in Wanaka on South Island by Rhythm Group as a sister event to its successful Rhythm and Vines, in Gisborne in northeastern NZ. But Rhythm and Alps had a bad trot last year, losing what published reports claimed were “hundreds and thousands of dollars”. Rhythm Group now concentrates on Rhythm and Vines.

WME poaches two Agency Group agents

The Agency Group’s Peter Schwartz and James Rubin are moving to WME (William Morris Endeavours). They jointly take with them hip hop names as Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Cypress Hill, A$AP Ferg, Danny Brown, Run the Jewels, B-Real, Method Man, Redman, Action Bronson and G-Eazy.

Festival losing GM

After five years at the helm, Sue Hackett steps down in September as GM of Townsville’s Australian Festival of Chamber Music. Her final event, July 31 to August 8, is on track for its biggest attendance ever.

Messenger takes on Hobart duties

Rhys Messenger is new Image Producer for 100.9 Sea FM and Heart 107.3 Hobart working from the Townsville, Queensland, studios.

Melbourne Recital Centre loses Kirsten Siddle

Kirsten Siddle is leaving Melbourne Recital Centre after eight years, and was part of the team that set up the Southbank venue in 2009. She was Director of Programming for five years, staging jazz, classical, blues and world. Under her watch, the Centre initiated the Great Performers series, the MusicPlay children’s music festival and this year, SummerSalt Outdoor Arts Festival which with 14 arts organisations held 280 outdoor performances over January and February and attracted 162,000 punters.

D-Link appoints Matt Farmer in executive post

Computer software firm D-Link Australia appointed B2C and B2B relationship management specialist Matt Farmer its Sales Director of National Retail. He has responsibilities for growing sales and channel marketing in ANZ.

New names at Undertow Media

New hires at strategic communications agency Undertow Media are Nat Placko-Thornton as Client Services Director and Kate Aurel-Smith as GM, Strategy and Culture.

First Artist partners form new agency

Robert Messinger, owner at California’s First Artists Management, which represents a number of US award winning film composers, has left to set up boutique agency boutique agency Fortress Talent Management. He took two agents, Rich Jacobellis and Randy Gerston, (the latter a music supervisor on Titanic) with him. Messinger began his career as a publicist for REM.

New owners of Melbourne’s Prince Alfred

Brother and sister Linda Turner and Steve Schultz who ran a hotel on the Bellarine Peninsula, are new owners of Port Melbourne’s live music showcasing Prince Alfred Hotel. It was previously owned by former North Melbourne AFL star Corey McKernan and his company CM Ultimate Events.

Presto searching for CEO

As streaming service Presto sets to enter a new phase of content growth, owners Foxtel and Seven are looking for a CEO. Shaun James, Director of Presto and On Demand at Foxtel, will undertake CEO duties in the interim.

Music video director turned filmmaker joins Engine Room

Faced with a growing demand for short-form digital films, Engine Room Productions brought in TV and film maker Damien Cassar. He did music videos for the likes of Jackson Firebird, Bang Bang Bangs, Dirty Pink Jeans, Hot Little Hands, Traps and Jep & Dep. He then directed MTV Style Me, the music doco The Other Stage and web series Town Centre as well as short films, ad and corporate work.