Sony Music’s CEO and chairman ANZ and president Asia Denis Handlin has announced a number of promotions in the Australian company, reflecting a strong culture of staff development. The company had a strong 2016, it continued to break new artists and ranked #1 for top 40 airplay with a 37.8% share.
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Wayne Ringrow has been promoted to general manager, Australian artists marketing and artist management, reporting to Handlin. In this new role, Ringrow will continue to be responsible for directing the Australian artists marketing division and overseeing local content creation. Ringrow is also responsible for Parade artist management.
Ringrow has extensive industry experience having worked with Sony Music since 1992. He has held a number of roles including sales representative, promotions manager, director marketing, head of sales and in 2014 was appointed senior director, Australian artists marketing. In September last year he was given the added responsibility for artist management.
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Tim Pithouse has been promoted to general manager, international marketing and artist development, reporting to Handlin. He will now be responsible for the marketing of international artists and lead that team, as well as continue his Australian artist development role where he has been active in identifying and signing new local artists.
Pithouse joined Sony Music in May 2006 as account manager, digital services and in April 2008 was promoted to senior manager, digital services. Over the years he held a number of roles and in February 2015 was promoted to the role of senior director marketing and artist development. Prior to joining Sony Music, Pithouse held roles at Emap Australia, Next Publishing and Granada in the UK.
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Grant Donges has been promoted to general manager, promotions and publicity and artist creative marketing and vice president television entertainment Asia Pacific, reporting to Handlin.
Donges started with Sony Music in 2001 as retail marketing executive in Queensland.
Over the years he has worked in different roles across three states and in 2015 he was promoted to director, promotions and publicity, Australian artists creative marketing and television entertainment, Asia Pacific and in February last year was promoted to senior director, promotions and publicity, Australian artists creative marketing and television entertainment, Asia Pacific.
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Kim Caley has been promoted to senior director, national promotions and artist creative marketing, reporting to Donges. Caley is responsible for the company’s national radio strategy, with the interstate promotions managers reporting to her. With this promotion, Caley becomes a permanent member of the executive team joining others in the senior leadership of the company.
Caley joined Sony Music in 2005 as executive coordinator and was soon after promoted to executive assistant. In 2006 she was appointed to the role of publicity and artist relations representative, NSW and in 2008, promoted to promotions manager, NSW. In February last year she was promoted to director, national promotions and brand development.
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Dan Nitschke has been promoted to senior director, business development and strategic partnerships. He will report to Gavin Parry, GM digital, business development and sales, and Handlin. In addition to business development and strategic partnerships, Nitschke is responsible for the licensing division of the company.
He has recently been involved in the Asia Pacific region through the creation of special products. This has included the Jessica Mauboy perfume and Samantha Jade makeup range in Australia, and he is working with Sony Music Middle East, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia teams on releasing similar products for their local artists. Nitschke also becomes a permanent member of the executive team joining others in the senior leadership of the company.
Nitschke joined Sony Music as director, content integration in April 2013 and was promoted to director, business development and strategic partnerships in February last year.
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Ian Grady has been promoted to senior manager, distributed labels and marketing, reporting to Pithouse. He will be a key contact in the company for acquiring and marketing distributed labels with a focus on market share growth, as well as continuing to market new releases across the international and Australian artist roster.
Grady joined the Red Label in February 2006 as sales representative and in May 2007 was promoted to product manager Red Label. In 2009 Grady was promoted to marketing manager, working on a wide range of international and local artists releases and in 2016, he was promoted to senior marketing manager.
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Andrew Mara has been promoted to senior manager, digital media and marketing, reporting to Parry. In addition to this digital media and marketing role, Mara will commence playing a strategy and advisory role in the communications strategy for Sony Music artists.
Mara started with Sony Music in 2016 as manager, digital media and marketing. Prior to that, he worked at Colloquial, a J. Walter Thompson content marketing company. He is also a freelance journalist, writer and editor.
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Talina Cruz has been promoted to marketing manager, jointly reporting to Ringrow and Pithouse. She will be responsible for marketing her own roster of international and Australian artists.
Cruz joined Sony Music in 2012 as community manager. In 2014, she was promoted to the marketing insights and community manager.
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Liz Mudie has been promoted to marketing manager, jointly reporting to Ringrow and Pithouse. She will be responsible for marketing her own roster of international and Australian artists.
Mudie joined the company in 2012 as digital marketing and promotions coordinator. In 2013, she was promoted to the role of digital marketing and promotions representative and in June 2015, was promoted to manager, content and community.
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Steve Holcroft has been promoted to content manager, distributed labels and marketing, reporting to Grady. In addition to working his own roster of international and Australian artists, he will now work closely with Grady on distributed label releases.
Holcroft joined the company in May 2012 as a coordinator in the digital services division.
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Jordon Dionatos has been promoted to content manager, jointly reporting to Ringrow and Pithouse. She will be responsible for marketing her own roster of international and Australian artists.
Dionatos started with Sony Music as an intern in 2013 in the digital marketing team. In 2015, she was appointed to the role of marketing coordinator.