One of the most prominent leaders in the UK music industry, Alexi Cory-Smith, is exiting BMG after nearly seven years with the company, MBW can reveal.
Cory-Smith (pictured) joined BMG in January 2011, becoming SVP of BMG Chrysalis UK before moving up to an EVP role in 2013.
She was promoted to President, Repertoire and Marketing of BMG UK in January this year after six years with the firm’s London office.
As such, the respected exec currently heads up frontline repertoire across both publishing and records at BMG UK.
Cory-Smith is understood to be departing at the end of the year.
In an internal note sent today (December 19) to her colleagues, obtained by MBW, Cory-Smith said: “I have been at BMG for seven years – seven years which have been some of the happiest of my career and, indeed, my life.
“You are an incredible team, and this is a wonderful company, and I am so proud of what we have built and achieved including an ambition to be the best in the business to do business with; and I leave here absolutely convinced that we have achieved as much.
“In my time we have signed so many great artists and song-writers including Bring Me The Horizon, Chrissie Hynde and The Pretenders; Liam Howlett and The Prodigy, Steve Mac, Wayne Hector, Jamiroquai, Giggs, The National, Robbie Williams and The Rolling Stones – Messrs Jagger and Richards, specifically – twice.
“It is time for me to start a new chapter and achieve other ambitions of mine including, possibly, a gap year (never too late for a gap year) in South America, and the Presidency of Argentina; and I wish you all nothing less than the very, very best.”
Successes at BMG under Cory-Smith’s jurisdiction have included the signing of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards’ post-ABKCO/EMI publishing rights (2013), as well as the acquisitions of Infectious Music and Skint/Loaded (both 2014).
Last year, Cory-Smith oversaw BMG’s acquisitions of drum & bass company Ram Records and the BBC Worldwide music catalogue.
“Alexi deserves full credit for all she has brought to BMG over the past seven years. We hold her in the highest personal esteem.”
And in 2017, under her watch, BMG has signed deals with the likes of Giggs, The Prodigy and Chrissie Hynde.
A BMG spokesman told MBW: “Alexi deserves full credit for all she has brought to BMG over the past seven years. We hold her in the highest personal esteem. And we wish her well in her future plans.”
Cory-Smith’s departure comes in the same year as other big changes at BMG worldwide.
In North America, Zach Katz was recently promoted to President, US Repertoire and Marketing – while other senior US execs Laurent Hubert and Jon Cohen have departed in 2017.
In Germany, BMG hired Dominique Kulling as Managing Director of GSA in December 2016, replacing Maik Pallasch.
And last month the company named Pablo Rodríguez as Managing Director of BMG Spain and Portugal, who moved over from Warner Music Spain.
BMG’s worldwide revenues grew 29% in the first nine months of 2017, and are expected to top $500m this year.Music Business Worldwide
