Kobalt Neighbouring Rights (KNR) has appointed Ann Tausis as its new Managing Director.
Tausis’s London-based role begins on June 1st and will see her oversee streaming day-to-day operations, as well as staffing up KNR and helping lead the Neighbouring Rights industry at a policy level.
Most recently, Tausis was Director of European Regional Administration at Universal Music Publishing, having previously held the position of Global Copyright Director from 2005-2012. She brings 20 years of experience in rights management administration, particularly in registration of rights.
KNR launched at MIDEM in 2012. The IFPI’s 2013 Recording Industry in Numbers Report estimates that global Neighbouring Rights are worth an estimated €735 million a year.
Hans Van Berkel, Executive Chairman of KNR said: “Ann brings fantastic experience from her time at Universal, and PolyGram before that, to the role. Her stability and clarity of vision gained across the publishing sector will stand her in great stead in the rapidly developing sphere of Neighbouring Rights, where complex distribution policies and qualifying criteria vary widely from society to society in a patchwork of countries covered by relevant treaties.”
Said Tausis: “I am delighted to be joining a thriving, industry-leading company that operates in an area of the recordings business that is developing fast, both at a commercial and at a policy level. Opportunities abound for an efficient global Neighbouring Rights agency, and it is testament to KNR that it has been able to attract the cream of the crop in terms of clients in such a short space of time.”
Tausis takes over from Sabine Jones, Managing Director from KNR’s launch, who is to pursue a consultancy career.Music Business Worldwide
