Universal Music Group has promoted Frank Briegmann to Chairman & CEO of Universal Music Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada & Deutsche Grammophon.
The appointment, announced on Thursday (October 1), expands the remit of Briegmann, who will continue to report to Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman & CEO of Universal Music Group.
Briegmann was previously Chairman & CEO of Universal Music Central Europe and Deutsche Grammophon.
UMG said the new structure is “designed to create more opportunities for artists across borders by increasing agility and enabling closer collaboration”.
Briegmann will work with the established leadership in each market, including Olivier Nusse, CEO of Universal Music France; Sean Warner, President & CEO of Universal Music Australia & New Zealand; and Julie Adam, President & CEO of Universal Music Canada.
“Just as importantly, he respects what makes every market different and knows how to give great local leaders the freedom and support to succeed.”
Sir Lucian Grainge
As part of the expanded role, Briegmann will also work with UMG‘s leadership in Europe, including the UK and Iberia.
Spain will continue to be led by Luis Fernández, President of Universal Music Spain, and Portugal by Ana Hernandez, Managing Director, Portugal, both reporting to Jesús López.
The United Kingdom will continue to be led by Dickon Stainer, Chairman & CEO, UK, reporting to Grainge.
“Frank and I have worked together for more than 20 years, and he’s a fierce artist champion with a proven track record of building long-term careers,” said Grainge. “He combines creative expertise with business acumen and the insights of data and technology.
“Just as importantly, he respects what makes every market different and knows how to give great local leaders the freedom and support to succeed. Frank’s promotion is all about the power of possibility; making it easier for artists, ideas, and opportunities to travel across borders.”
“Our responsibility is to understand and nurture what makes each market dynamic and distinctive, while giving artists the investment, local expertise, and global reach to realize their full potential.”
Frank Briegmann
“Great artists can emerge anywhere, and today they can find an audience almost everywhere,” said Briegmann. “That makes strong local expertise more important. Our responsibility is to understand and nurture what makes each market dynamic and distinctive, while giving artists the investment, local expertise, and global reach to realize their full potential.
“I’m grateful to Lucian for his trust and this new opportunity to take on this broader responsibility. Over the years, I have seen what becomes possible when great local teams work closely together across borders. I look forward to building on that experience with this exceptional group of leaders and creating even more opportunities for artists throughout these markets and around the world.”
Briegmann joined Universal Music in 2004 as CEO of its German business, becoming what the company describes as the youngest executive ever to lead a major music company in Germany.
His remit later grew to cover Central, Northern, and Eastern Europe, and he oversaw classical label Deutsche Grammophon globally.
Before joining Universal, Briegmann worked at Bertelsmann Music Group from 1995 to 2004, finishing his tenure as Senior Vice President, International.
The promotion follows a series of structural changes across UMG.
In March, Universal Music Nordics unified its units in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Baltics under its “One Nordic” model, reporting to Briegmann.
At the end of March, Universal Music appointed three executives to senior roles across its Latin America and U.S. Latino operations, reporting to Jesús López, Chairman & CEO of Universal Music Latin America and Iberian Peninsula.
Briegmann is a board member of the Federal Association of the Music Industry and serves on Deutsche Bank‘s Eastern Regional Advisory Board.
He also sits on the boards of trustees of the C/O Berlin Foundation and the German Sports Aid Foundation (Stiftung Deutsche Sporthilfe).
Elsewhere at UMG, Libby Bush was this week named President, Global Brands and Commercial Partnerships, while former Spotify executive Òscar Celma has joined the company as Senior Vice President, Applied AI and Machine Learning.Music Business Worldwide