BMG has made significant changes to its senior management team to accommodate what the company calls its ‘surging growth’.
The Bertelsmann-owned company turned over $573m last year, up 22% on 2016 – and has enjoyed recorded music success so far in 2018 with the likes of Kylie Minogue album Golden and Lil Dicky single ‘Freaky Friday’, which hit No.1 on iTunes in 38 countries and achieved BMG’s first No.1 on the Official UK Singles Chart.
The new changes involve the appointment of a Chief Operating Officer and Chief Human Resources Officer who, together with BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch and Chief Financial Officer Maximilian Dressendoerfer, will form a new head office executive management board.
Ben Katovsky – currently EVP Global Rights Administration – is promoted to Chief Operating Officer, responsible for the key service functions contributing to the growth of the business.
In addition to his existing service areas of rights administration, digital service administration and supply chain management, he will now take responsibility across BMG’s operational functions including both recorded and publishing royalty service, neighbouring rights and production music administration, US mechanical licensing and group technology.
Ama Walton – previously General Counsel Europe – is promoted to Global General Counsel and Chief Human Resources Officer, responsible for all human resources functions and the HR teams across BMG’s more than 750-strong worldwide team in addition to her ongoing responsibilities for legal, digital and business affairs as well as matters to do with copyright law, media policy and relationships with collecting societies.
She will be responsible for all legal and business affairs including digital licensing agreements on an international level.
Both Katovsky and Walton report to Masuch.
“I am delighted to announce this significant realignment which will create more bandwidth for me and Max as we continue to grow the world’s fourth biggest music company.”
Hartwig Masuch, BMG
Said Masuch, “Ten years after its launch BMG continues to grow strongly. That growth requires a constant evolution of our management structure. I am delighted to announce this significant realignment which will create more bandwidth for me and Max as we continue to grow the world’s fourth biggest music company.”
Ben Katovsky joined BMG in April 2015 as SVP Operations Strategy, reporting into CFO Maximilian Dressendoerfer.
He joined from Vistex where amongst other responsibilities he led the team creating BMG’s first administration and royalties platform. At BMG, he has successfully led the creation of the company’s global recorded music supply chains and formation of new service hubs in Berlin and Nashville and contributed to strategy in emerging markets.
Ama Walton joined BMG in June 2017 as General Counsel Europe from Constantin Film, Germany’s biggest independent film production and distribution company, where she was co-Managing Director of its music interests.
Since joining BMG, she has successfully contributed to BMG’s digital strategy, led negotiations with the major DSPs and aligned BMG’s global licensing strategy, as well as contributing to strategy in media policy and fostering relationships with copyright collecting societies in the US and in Europe.
