The nomination process for elections to BPI Council is now closed. We are pleased to announce that the following candidates will stand for election to the role of Designated Major Representative at the BPI AGM on 6 July 2011:
Designated Major Representative for BPI Council 2011
David Joseph | Universal Music UK
If the success of the British music industry is measured in terms of the profile of our artists around the world, there is much to celebrate. At home there has never been a better, more engaging time to be a music fan, thanks to fast-paced innovation in digital platforms. Neither of these positives counterbalance the challenges we still face as an industry, however. Alongside serving as Chairman of the BRITs committee, I am committed to supporting the BPI with its crucial role in protecting the value of music and helping us to sit alongside the other creative industries as we navigate this period of change. I am fiercely proud to be part of this business, and will do all I can to ensure we can nurture future generations of British talent.
Emma Pike | Sony Music UK
The music industry continues to chart its course through an ever changing landscape as we innovate and build our digital business. Influencing the political and media environment in which we operate is crucial to creating a sustainable and thriving music business now and into the future. In particular, our relationship with ISPs, search engines, other creative industries has never been more important.
Having started out as a city lawyer, I have spent the last 8 years lobbying European and UK institutions on behalf of record companies (at the IFPI in Brussels) and on behalf of composers, songwriters and music publishers as Chief Executive of British Music Rights. In my current role as VP Industry Relations at Sony I am responsible for corporate communications and government/wider industry relations.
The following candidates will stand for election to the role of Designated Independent Representative:
Designated Independent Representative for BPI Council 2011
John Craig O.B.E. | First Night Records
I have been the owner of an independent record company since 1977.
I have been a member of the BPI Council for 22 years, by far the longest serving member. I am a Governor and Chairman of the Finance Committee at the Brit School and Chairman of the Brit Trust, the charitable arm of the British Record Business and the sponsor of the Brit School. I was awarded an OBE in the 2010 New Years Honours for Music and Charity. I am the liason between the school and the Council. The Trust has made donations to the school in excess of £8 million pounds and the success of the School speaks for itself with alumnae dominating the UK charts and even three entries in the US top 10 albums charts. I have helped with the new MU, BPI agreement and with a number of other BPI committees.
My proper job is with First Night Records who record West End and Broadway shows. Recent recordings include Sister Act, Legally Blonde, Les Miz 25th Anniversary and Betty Blue Eyes. Older recordings include Les Miserable, Miss Saigon and Blood Brothers. In recent years we have digitised our entire catalogue including long deleted product, promo CDs and other rarities; which has proven to be particularly rewarding.
I have worked in the business since leaving school and there have been many challenges in that time, the digital world is the biggest we have faced and I am keen to help.
Scott Cohen | The Orchard
I have been in the music business for over 20 years, first as an artist manager and shortly after as an indie label owner in NYC. I ran my first digital marketing campaign on AOL back in 1995 and it was life changing. I knew the music industry was about to change whether anyone liked it or not. That change has been painful for many but there is no going back to the good old days.
Over the last two years sitting on the BPI Council as a co-opted member, I have worked very hard to keep our industry moving forward while still protecting the basic principle that we must be paid for our rights. How we accomplish this is the tricky part. I believe we must continue to push the limits and transform how we operate our companies. It isn’t business as usual.
Our industry is stronger than ever. There is greater demand for music today and there are more revenue transactions around music than ever before. It is now time to be more creative about the products and services we offer our customers. We have relied heavily on the lp format and perhaps that is one of our biggest issues. Let’s embrace the market changes and stay in front of the curve.
Michael Infante | One Media Publishing Group PLC
After nearly a year on the BPI Council as a co-opted member I am pleased to say that as a trade federation it has made great inroads to the many issues that both present and threat our industry as an entity. Subjects such as Term Extension, Piracy, and Counterfeit products, Government representation, DEA, Hargreaves and the slow demise of physical product, dominated the meetings along with regular ‘digital’ issues from ISPs and rouge websites. I would like to think that I have added to the ‘round table’ by voicing ‘one indies point of view’ that will no doubt, affect many of us who ‘alone’ are too small to be heard. If elected, I will continue to voice the opinions of those members not present who occasionally communicate with me, via the ‘unelected committee meetings’ that I regularly attend or from the emails that a few of you have sent to me over the last 10 months. Never before within the music industry has the following quote had better meaning: “The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving”.
Harry Maloney | The Independent Record Company
I have represented, served, and have been a voice for the Independent members on BPI Council for the last five years.
During the majority of my working career I have been an independent, and I have also gained insight of the workings of the majors during 4 years spent as commercial director at BMG.
The future of our industry depends to a large extent on the success of new digital businesses and during the last 5 years I have been immersed in this new innovation.
A number of you will remember that a few years ago I led and hosted the series of training and education seminars for members at BPI, through The Open College for the Music Industry, delivering upto date information on the Digital Industry from a number of key speakers for Independents to gain insight into the overall industry.
I was a founder member of the BPI Independent Committee and the BPI Digital Committee which provides new opportunities for Indies to expand their business in the digital market. I am a member of the new BPI Innovation Committee which considers new digital services wishing to enter the UK market.
Recently I have been an adviser to the first fully licensed “Cloud” music service, Catch Media, on its entry to the UK with partners Carphone Warehouse/BestBuy.