German promoter FKP Scorpio hires Freddie de Wall as COO

German-based promoter FKP Scorpio has appointed music manager Freddie de Wall as Chief Operating Officer.

Wall joins from Heinrich & de Wall Artist and Music Management, where he’s been co-owner and Managing Director for the past 13 years.

As COO, Wall is tasked with developing projects internationally and expanding into new business fields both domestically and abroad.

He will also be responsible for further developing the organisational and communications structure of the company, and for the control and optimisation of business processes and internal workflows.

The hire comes shortly after CTS Eventim became a majority shareholder of FKP Scorpio after upping its stake to 50.2% in June last year.

Wall has a 35 year history in the music business. He started training with the former Hamburg concert agency Sunrise, where he also worked as a booker and road manager, before moving on to jobs at Phonogram and WEA Records.

In 1991, Wall moved to Metronome as Marketing Director and later joined the London headquarters of BMG Entertainment International as Vice President Marketing Europe.

In 1999 he was named Managing Director of BMG Denmark, and moved to head up independent label edel Music in 2002.

Heinrich & de Wall Artist & Music Management was founded in Hamburg alongside Karin Heinrich in 2004.

“With Freddie de Wall we have managed to acquire both a passionate and professional expert as COO. His diverse experience and contacts in the international music business will help us to successfully continue our expansion.”

Folkert Koopmans, fkp scorpio

FKP Scorpio Founder and Managing Director Folkert Koopmans said: “With Freddie de Wall we have managed to acquire both a passionate and professional expert as COO.

“His diverse experience and contacts in the international music business will help us to successfully continue our expansion, both nationally and throughout Europe, and to implement the internal structures that are necessary to achieve this.

“We are delighted that Freddie will strengthen the FKP Scorpio team in future as operative head, and that we can tackle the approaching challenges with him.”

Wall added: “For many years I have observed with interest how purposefully Folkert Koopmans and his team have made FKP Scorpio into one of the most renowned and successful companies in the tough live music market, not only in Germany, but throughout Europe.

“He is a man of action, a great networker and impulse generator for the sector, with his very own style.

“I am looking forward to taking responsibility for the operative business at a highly professional promoter, and to consolidating and further developing the position of the company internationally.”

freddie de wall

“I am looking forward to bringing my own experience from many years in the music business to FKP Scorpio, to taking responsibility for the operative business at a highly professional promoter, and to consolidating and further developing the position of the company internationally.”

Founded in 1990, FKP Scorpio is one of the largest concert organisers in Germany, and organises a number of festivals throughout Europe.

The German FKP Scorpio festival roster currently includes Hurricane, Southside, Highfield, Chiemsee Summer, M‘era Luna, the Rolling Stone Weekender, Metal Hammer Paradise, A Summer’s Tale, ELBJAZZ, the Hamburger Kultursommer and the Deichbrand Festival.

Internationally, FKP Scorpio organises the following festivals, partly in cooperation with national partner: Northside (DK), Tinderbox (DK), Bravalla (S), Where’s The Music? (S), Greenfield (CH), Indian Summer (NL), Best Kept Secret (NL), Wiesen Festivals (AT), Air + Style (AT), Provinssi (FI) and Sideways Helsinki (FI).

The company is also the tour partner for bands and artists such as the Foo Fighters, Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, Mumford & Sons, Billy Talent, Blink-182, Céline Dion, Death Cab for Cutie, Elbow, Feist, Gotye, PJ Harvey, Pixies, The Gaslight Anthem and Vampire Weekend.

Music Business Worldwide