Warner Music Group has appointed Mateusz Smółka as Managing Director of Warner Music Eastern Europe.
The appointment was announced on September 2, with Smółka taking up the newly created role on Monday (September 7).
He will be based in Warsaw and report to Simon Robson, President, EMEA, Warner Music.
In the role, Smółka will oversee Warner Music‘s operations across Poland, the Czech Republic, South Eastern Europe, and Ukraine.
Warner Music said Smółka will drive its expansion across the region, building scale and market share while supporting local music cultures.
His brief covers talent development, distribution, and mergers and acquisitions, as Warner Music broadens the services it offers artists in the region.
Smółka joins Warner Music from Spotify, where he spent eight years.
At the streaming service, he led its editorial and artist and label partnership teams across ten Eastern European markets.
“I’m excited to join Warner Music at such a transformative moment for our industry across Eastern Europe.”
Mateusz Smółka
Smółka brings more than two decades of experience across music, media, and technology.
He began his career as a journalist before moving into advisory and leadership roles across the music industry.
“Mateusz has a proven record of driving creative and commercial growth across Eastern Europe,” said Simon Robson, President, EMEA, Warner Music. “His expertise in artist development and fan culture makes him uniquely equipped to lead our growth in Europe’s fastest-expanding market.
“I look forward to partnering with him to capture the immense opportunities in the region.”
“I’m excited to join Warner Music at such a transformative moment for our industry across Eastern Europe,” said Smółka. “The sheer volume of creative talent emerging from this region is extraordinary.
“I look forward to partnering with our brilliant teams to empower our artist roster and champion local sounds worldwide.”
“His expertise in artist development and fan culture makes him uniquely equipped to lead our growth in Europe’s fastest-expanding market.”
Simon Robson, Warner Music
Warner Music has expanded its presence across Eastern Europe through a run of acquisitions and investments in recent years.
The deals span catalog, independent labels, and promoters across Central and Eastern Europe.
In March 2024, Warner Music South East Europe acquired a minority stake in Slovenian independent label NIKA.
The company has taken stakes in Hungary’s Magneoton and Serbia’s Mascom, and invested in Czech hip-hop label Mike Roft.
In Poland, it has backed promoter Big Idea and label Step Records, and it acquired Slovakia’s Forza Music in 2019.
Warner Music also bought Polskie Nagrania, Poland’s oldest record label, for €1.9 million in 2015.
Warner Music has framed the region as fertile ground for emerging talent.Music Business Worldwide