Dr Jan Fischer has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Warner Music Group‘s Germany-headquartered merchandise company EMP.
He will be based in EMP’s headquarters in Lingen, Germany and report to Karl Walsh, EVP and Head of Global Commerce for Warner Music Group, who is based in Los Angeles.
Fischer has been part of the EMP team since 2013, joining as Chief Financial Officer and also acting as Chief Operating Officer since 2022.
His appointment follows the news from last month that former CEO Ernst Trapp would step down from the role, and from the role of President of E-Commerce at WMG, at the end of May.
Trapp steered the company through its $180 million acquisition by Warner in 2018, after which it remained a standalone direct-to-fan division.
EMP now operates a network of online stores in 18 European countries and claims to serve some six million customers.
It sells merchandise from artists and major entertainment brands, such as Disney, Harry Potter, Nintendo, Marvel and PlayStation; and sporting franchises, such as the NFL, as well as products from fashion brands, such as Vans.
The company, which was founded in 1986, has offices in Germany, Italy and the UK.
Fischer began his career working for Deutsche Bank. He went on to work as a Senior Associate at Rödl & Partner in Atlanta, Georgia, offering consultancy services to medium-sized overseas companies operating in the US.
He returned to Germany in 2010 to work at Versandhaus Walz, a mail-order retailer of childcare products, furniture and homeware, before joining EMP in 2013.
“Our sector is continuously changing and we need to ensure that we’re adapting with it to operate at the heart of the relationship between creators and fans.”
Jan Fischer
Jan Fischer said: “It’s a great honour for me to lead the remarkable team at EMP. Our sector is continuously changing and we need to ensure that we’re adapting with it to operate at the heart of the relationship between creators and fans.
“We’ve taken steps to upgrade our systems and reboot our teams so that EMP can remain the market leader in this fast-growing sector.”
“I’m delighted that Jan has agreed to step up and take on the role of CEO. He has a deep understanding of the business and the amazing team at EMP.”
Karl Walsh
Karl Walsh added: “I’m delighted that Jan has agreed to step up and take on the role of CEO. He has a deep understanding of the business and the amazing team at EMP.
“He’s also played a key role in helping evolve the company and shares our strategy for driving future growth.”
Music Business Worldwide