Sony Music Australia confirms 12 new hires & internal promotions – 11 of which are women [scoop]

Change is afoot on Hargrave Street in Sydney as Sony Music Entertainment prepares to enter a new financial year, with a mantra: “constant reinvention and innovation”.

TMN can reveal that the Australian arm of the major label has announced three new appointments and a fully loaded swag of staff promotions.

It’s worth celebrating that of the 12 personnel changes confirmed by Sony Music today – all of which are detailed below – nine of the promotions and two of the new hires are women.

The far-reaching changes spread across multiple departments too, including licensing, promotions, talent management, marketing and finance.

There is also a new role within the Sony Foundation, which this week sees their record-breaking event in Melbourne for River4Ward, where domestic hitmakers The Veronicas, Delta Goodrem, Guy Sebastian and David Campbell will perform.

Three New Hires

Kaitlyn Pearce has joined the Sydney based licensing division as licensing manager. Pearce will report to Hannah Kirkpatrick, who has been promoted to director of business development and licensing. Pearce will also be responsible for managing licensing and sync requests.

Fenella Wagener has started in the company’s Melbourne office in the new role of director of promotions & media for Victoria. Wagener will be responsible for all aspects of promotions, communications and artist relations for that market. She will also play a national role in the business development division by working across all our partners on a range of opportunities. She will report to Dan Nitschke and Rowan Thiedeman from the Sydney office.

Mark Narborough will be joining Sony Music at the end of April as finance director for Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, reporting to EVP of operations & CFO, Asia Pacific, Andrew Smith.

Nine Internal Promotions

Kirkpatrick’s promotion will see her pickup increased responsibility for business development and the company’s brand business, in addition to her existing licensing duties. She will continue to report to Nitschke.

Katie Baldwin, who reports to Kirkpatrick, has been promoted to licensing representative. Baldwin will continue to manage licensing requests whilst assisting both the licensing and business development teams. She joined the company in 2017.

Lara Couloumbis has been promoted to marketing manager, reporting to Ian Grady. Couloumbis started with the company in 2017 as a content manager and is responsible for marketing a roster of Australian and international artists.

Leah Mulholland is taking on increased responsibility by working with The Orchard on the company’s distribution deals. Her new title will be label operations & orchard integration manager, reporting to Blake Rayner in the Orchard. Mulholland started with the company in 1986.

Claire Morrissey from the company’s Brisbane office has been promoted to Queensland promotions manager, where she will be the key contact for the stat’s media across radio, print and TV, and report to Thiedeman. Morrissey started with the company as an intern in 2016.

Liz Mudie has taken on expanded responsibility in the role of manager of digital advertising & artist management, reporting to Ringrow. In addition to her management responsibilities for Jai Waetford, Tori Wade and Andrew Lambrou, Mudie will be responsible for digital advertising and post-campaign analysis. She joined the company in 2012.

Katrina Ross also takes on increased responsibility by working closely with the Sony Foundation team on Australian artist activity with their charity events, reporting to Ringrow. Ross’s role is senior manager of Australian artists marketing. She started with the company in 2013.

Tammy Hofbauer has been promoted to director of promotions strategy, reporting to Thiedeman. Hofbauer continues with her responsibility for radio promotions and events, based in the Sydney office. She started with the company in A&R in 2008.

Bronwyn Tasker has been promoted to director of national communications, reporting to Grant Donges. Tasker is responsible for the national communications and artist relations for a roster of Australian and international artists, as well as media relations for national publications. She started with the company in 2004.

Watch This Space

TMN can also reveal that Sony Music is  preparing to announce a number of other appointments as it expands its presence in Victoria and Queensland.

The company will also be moving into new premises in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond in mid-May, which will include a new recording facility and the addition of a A&R team in Brisbane.