Dan Rosen named President of Warner Music Australasia

Dan Rosen has been named President of Warner Music Australasia, effective February 1, 2021.

Rosen will join Warner after serving almost a decade as CEO of ARIA, the industry body for Australia’s record labels, and PPCA, the collecting society that licenses recorded music for broadcast and public performance.

Reporting to Stu Bergen, CEO, International and Global Commercial Services, Warner Recorded Music, Rosen will succeed Niko Nordström.

As announced yesterday, Nordström is returning to his native country to become Managing Director of Warner Music Finland and VP, Warner Music Nordics.

A renowned advocate for the rights of artists and labels, Rosen holds advanced degrees in law and business, while also having had a career as an accomplished artist.

Rosen’s 2021 start date will enable a smooth transition at Warner Music Australasia, ARIA and PPCA.

Dan Rosen began his music industry career as a founder of the band Second Dan, which won Australian radio station Triple J’s Unearthed Competition in 2003.  The band went on to perform across Australia and the US.

Rosen still writes and performs music but chose to pause his full-time career as an artist to study international law and business at New York University on a Fulbright Scholarship, followed by a stint at US digital start-up ROO Media.

Rosen returned to Australia in 2010 to take up his post at ARIA, where he scored a major victory in 2015 when the Australian government legislated to block access to copyright infringing websites. He also steered major changes in the performance rights market, which has grown strongly in recent years.

Rosen has championed the arts and creative sector through his work on numerous boards, including Creative Partnerships Australia and his recent appointment to the Australian Government’s Creative Industries Taskforce to help the sector rebuild through COVID.

He is a passionate advocate to build Australian creative exports, including his work as part of the Australian government’s American-focused economic diplomacy programme G’Day USA.

Prior to forming Second Dan, Rosen spent three years at the law firm Minter Ellison in Melbourne and subsequently served as a senior policy adviser to the Australian Government in the areas of technology, media, and telecommunications.

“Dan is coming to us with an extraordinary depth of knowledge and range of experience – as a pioneering exec, an artists’ advocate, and a successful performer himself.”

Stu Bergen

Stu Bergen said: “Dan is coming to us with an extraordinary depth of knowledge and range of experience – as a pioneering exec, an artists’ advocate, and a successful performer himself.

“He’s seen the business from all sides and has been a passionate and fearless defender and protector of the rights of music creators in the digital age.

“He’ll be an exceptional addition to our global leadership team, and a great champion of our amazing artists and teams in Australia and New Zealand.”

“I am honoured to have been given the opportunity to take up the leadership of such an iconic Australian record company and would like to thank Niko for his hard work and dedication to the local industry over the last three and a half years.”

Dan Rosen

Dan Rosen added: “I am honoured to have been given the opportunity to take up the leadership of such an iconic Australian record company and would like to thank Niko for his hard work and dedication to the local industry over the last three and a half years.

“This is an exciting and dynamic time for music, with an explosion in opportunities across streaming and social media, especially given the levelling of traditional barriers in genre and geography.

“I am also very aware that the challenges of the pandemic demands that we remain very focussed on protecting creators’ rights. I’m looking forward to collaborating with the world-class team at Warner, expanding our investment in local talent, and strengthening the impact of Australia and New Zealand artists on the global stage.”Music Business Worldwide