Wonderlick Unveils Reorganisation, Leadership Appointments: ‘We Have Assembled One of the Strongest Teams’

Wonderlick Entertainment is reorganising its operations, led with a string of senior appointments which ought to build a bridge to international markets.

At the top of Wonderlick’s newly-drawn-up play, key roles for veteran music executives Jess Keeley and Danny Rukasin.

Keeley, an experienced artist manager who has worked on three continents, guiding the careers of such artists as Shania Twain, Lykke Li, Arcade Fire and Marina & the Diamonds, is named as director of artist management.

“Jess will be heading up the next era of Wonderlick Management,” reads a statement from the company.

“The talent in the Australian music industry is so consistently at a global standard, and Wonderlick has proved this again and again in their approach to A&R and management,” comments Keeley, who recently returned to Australia after more than 10 years’ abroad, with stints in Los Angeles and London.

“I’m excited and energised by our vision for artist career development and support, and am very ambitious in realising long-term local and international success for our artists with this incredible team.”

Rukasin, also a long-time manager, who co-founded U.S.-based management company Best Friends Music, joins Wonderlick as a partner.

Based in Los Angeles, Rukasin will focus on extending Wonderlick’s international reach in his new role as director of international.

“I’m constantly amazed by the unique talent that is cultivating in Australia and New Zealand,” Rukasin comments in a statement, “and I am excited to work with the highly regarded Stu, Gregg, Dan, Michele, Jess, and the rest of the team at Wonderlick, to help expand the roster’s reach into the rest of the world.”

Best Friends Music’s clients include Billie Eilish, Finneas, Role Model, Bishop Briggs and Lexi Jayde.

Gregg Donovan and Stu MacQueen

The changes don’t end there.

Long-term senior staffers Michele Porto and Dan Crannitch are rewarded for their significant contributions with partnerships in the company, and promotions to director of marketing and director of A&R, respectively.

Meanwhile, Paul Zaja, the group’s long-time business manager, is named as director of finance, and Brock Galway is promoted to senior artist manager.

Formed in 2007, Wonderlick will continue its longstanding joint venture partnership with Sony Music Entertainment Australia.

Co-founder Stu MacQueen continues as Wonderlick CEO, a statement confirms, while fellow co-founder Gregg Donovan remains as senior artist manager and will continue to “play a close role in the management of key artists.”

Commenting on the shakeup within the music company’s label and management divisions, MacQueen explains: “The addition of Danny and Jess to our already talented and experienced team, along with our reenergised partnership with Sony Music Australia under Vanessa Picken’s strong leadership, significantly improves our offering to artists across the label and management sides of the company.”

It’s a “challenging environment to develop and break Australian artists right now,” he continues, “but I feel that we have assembled one of the strongest teams ever put together by an Australian music company, and we are ready to embrace the challenges ahead.”

Wonderlick is built on the three pillars of label, management, and publishing.

Since its foundation, the business has represented and launched a long list of successful homegrown talent, including Amy Shark, Grinspoon, Boy & Bear, Pete Murray, Montaigne, Josh Pyke, Holy Holy, Airbourne, The Paper Kites, Japanese Wallpaper and Electric Fields, who, collectively have scooped 20 ARIA Awards from over 60 nominations.