Paul Smith has been promoted to the newly created role of Vice President, A&R and International Songwriters at Warner Chappell Music (WCM).
He will further strengthen relationships between the songwriters on the music publisher’s global roster, driving collaborations both between them and with major recording artists worldwide.
Based in London, Smith will report to Mike Smith, WCM’s UK Managing Director, and also have a dotted line into Shani Gonzales, the company’s newly appointed EVP of International A&R.
As well as creating Smith’s new role, WCM is introducing ARROW, a new database dedicated to fostering global collaboration and accelerating the pitch process for songwriters’ music.
The internal songpitching tool was developed by the team at Warner Chappell Nashville.
The publisher’s A&R experts worldwide will use ARROW — an acronym for ‘A&R Representing Our Writers’ — to search and share unreleased songs internally across the company, and pitch them for commercial use.
Smith has been with Warner Chappell since 2016, beginning as Senior International Creative Manager and moving up to Creative Director.
He’s boosted the frequency of global collaboration among WCM songwriters with songwriting camps in London, Stockholm, Los Angeles and Nashville.
He began his career in the music industry at the London-based management firm 365 Artists, representing songwriters and producers responsible for records from Bon Jovi, Ellie Goulding, Kylie Minogue, Little Mix, Robbie Williams and Sam Smith.
Among the songwriters he’s signed are Amy Wadge (Ed Sheeran, Camila Cabello), Fred Ball (Rihanna, Jay-Z and Beyoncé), Linnea Södahl (Zara Larsson) and Rick Boardman (Marshmello, Bebe Rexha).
“The elevation of Paul and creation of ARROW reflect our commitment to finding new ways to better serve our songwriters globally.”
“The elevation of Paul and creation of ARROW reflect our commitment to finding new ways to better serve our songwriters globally,” says Guy Moot, Co-Chair and CEO, Warner Chappell Music.
“We’re invested in promoting outstanding executive talent internally, and Paul is the perfect fit to help us drive our international strategy forward.”
“Paul’s passion and enthusiasm for music coupled with a deep knowledge of the market make him a huge asset to Warner Chappell.”
Mike Smith, Warner Chappell Music
Mike Smith, UK Managing Director, Warner Chappell Music, added: “Paul’s passion and enthusiasm for music coupled with a deep knowledge of the market make him a huge asset to Warner Chappell.
“He’s been instrumental in the careers of so many of our songwriters and is always looking for global opportunities to help them take their craft to the next level.”
“The songwriting business is more global than ever, and the partnerships we’re seeing across cultures are truly inspiring.”
Paul Smith
Paul Smith said: “I’m delighted to take on this pivotal new role at Warner Chappell.
“The songwriting business is more global than ever, and the partnerships we’re seeing across cultures are truly inspiring.
“There’s nothing more rewarding than connecting songwriters and helping them maximize their collaboration opportunities on an international level.”Music Business Worldwide
