MBW understands that Jamie Hole, International Director of Universal Music Group, is leaving the major – with today (March 7) his last in a 14-year tenure.
The news comes amid widespread restructuring at Universal Music Group International, which is based in London.
A label partner of UMGi told MBW on condition of anonymity: “Jamie was a professional and honest ambassador for UMG. Many of us enjoyed working with him and he will most certainly be missed.”
British exec Jamie Hole (pictured inset) is the son of Max Hole, the former boss of UMGi who first joined the division back in 1998 as Senior Vice President, Marketing and A&R.
“Jamie was a professional and honest ambassador for UMG. He will be missed.”
MBW source
Max Hole stood down as CEO of UMGi last year due to ill health.
Around 50 UMGi roles in London have been affected by the recent restructuring: some of these staff are staying on temporarily, some are relocating to the US and some are leaving the company.
Following the departure of Max Hole last year, UMG boss Lucian Grainge adopted a more direct globalized structure for the business.
In essence, this means that a bifurcated US/ex-US setup – in which all territories outside the States first report into an ‘international’ department in London – has been scrubbed.
Other high-profile exec exits from UMG this year have included D2C boss Russel Coultart, Bravado CEO Tom Bennett, Universal Music France CEO Pascal Negre and South Africa MD Randall Abrahams.
Bennett has been replaced by former Sony exec Mat Vlasic, while Negre has been superseded by former MD of Mercury Music Group in France, Olivier Nusse.
As revealed this morning, Randall Abrahams is being replaced by Sipho Dlamini as MD of South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.
Dlamini will report into Adrian Cheesley, Senior Vice President of Universal Music Group – who was (tellingly?) formerly credited as SVP of UMGi by the major.Music Business Worldwide
