Industrial Strength: Musical Chairs – Sept 26, 2013

WAM CEO Wendy Were heading to Australia Council 

Wendy Were, CEO of Perth-based the West Australian Music Industry Association (WAM) is leaving the organization. She is joining the Australia Council as executive director of Arts Development from January 2014. She was previously a business advisor and mentor to artistic companies at the Creative Industries Innovation Centre and, from 2006 to 2010, the artistic director and chief executive of the Sydney Writers Festival.

Also joining the Council, effective immediately, is Lissa Twomey is new executive director of Arts Organisations. Classically trained pianist Twomey, worked as a musician and dancer. As artistic director she specialized in multi-arts festivals including the New Zealand International Arts Festival (2006 to 2012), the inaugural Wellington Jazz Festival (2009) and played an integral role in the Sydney Festival (1998 to 2005).

These two appointments complete the Australia Council’s senior leadership team. OzCo CEO Tony Grybowski stated, “Both Lissa and Wendy are outstanding arts administrators, leaders and advocates across various fields and their combined talents, knowledge and experience will be an enormous asset to the Australia Council in this exciting period of change. They each have extensive multi-arts expertise drawn from the successful delivery of major events and festivals, and they possess a great working knowledge of international and Australian arts culture, including our unique rural and regional arts. Lissa and Wendy join a highly professional and energetic leadership team at the most dynamic period of transformation in the Australia Council’s 40 year history.”

Kobalt taps Diarmuid Quinn as President, North America

Kobalt Label Services tapped Diarmuid Quinn as its President of North American. He will lead Kobalt’s growing label services operations in the US, sign artists for global release campaigns and develop North America marketing campaigns for international KLS clients. Quinn was COO of Warner Bros Records and President of Reprise Records and more recently ran his own management and marketing TourDForce Productions.

Australia’s Ali McLean named head of festivals for UK promoter 

UK entertainment company DHP Family, awarded National Promoter of the Year at the Live Music Business Awards last year, appointed Perth-born Ali McLean to the newly created role of head of Festivals. DHP runs festivals as Dot to Dot, Gathering, Hit The Deck, Everywhere and Splendour. McLean’s role is to increase their profitability and developing the proposition for new festivals. McLean began her career in Perth, after going to Fuji Rock in Japan in 2004 and “realised that when I grew up, I wanted to be a festival promoter. She became event manager for Future Music, Summadayze and A Day on the Green, with roles on Southbound, West Coast Blues’n’Roots, Laneway, Big Day Out and Soundwave. She moved to London where she worked on events including the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Facebook Australia appoints Antonia Christie to head communications 

Facebook has responded to its growing sales and marketing presence in Australia and New Zealand by bringing in Antonia Christie as head of communications for these two territories. Facebook has 12 million users in Australia, and in the last 12 months, brought in Will Easton as CEO and Ellie Rogers as head of agency. Christie was head of communications for ninemsn and then communications manager for its umbrella brand Mi9.

Rod Lougoon promoted at 4BH/4BC 

Rod Lougoon, who was acting promotions and marketing manager at Fairfax radio’s 4BH/4BC Brisbane has been made permanent in that role.

Epic Records names Shalik Berry VP of A&R 

Shalik Berry joined Epic as VP of A&R specializing on urban music, Billboard reported. Berry was creative director at L.A. Reid Music Publishing; Reid is chairman and CEO of Epic. Berry starting as head of A&R at Roc-a-Fella Records in 2002 and four years at Island Def Jam as director of A&R. He worked with Jay Z, Kanye West, Cam’ron, Juelz Santana, Chrisette Michele and Babyface.

Kaiser Chief Wilson joins The Voice UK 

Ricky Wilson of Kaiser Chiefs is the fourth coach of BBC1’s The Voice UK, sitting alongside Kylie Minogue, will.i.am and Sir Tom Jones when the talent show returns to the small screen in January.

Penny Hutchinson exits Arts Victoria

After 13 years as director of Arts Victoria Penny Hutchinson has moved on to a new role leading a review of the Victorian Public Service strategic financial management capabilities. Among achievements during her reign were the redevelopment of Hamer Hall and evolution of the Southbank arts precinct. Andrew Abbott will serve as interim Director.

Country music booker Kylie Daniel hits the airwaves 

Kylie ’Kylz’ Daniel, one time booker for the Tamworth country music festival is now breakfast announcer at Grant Broadcaster’s Bundaberg stations Kix County and Hottest Country. Daniel has been in the country music field in many roles. She operated a guitar teaching clinic, was a professional photographer whose work appeared on the covers of country albums and wrote for country music publications.

New producer for Sydney Mix show 

Mix 106.5 Sydney’s Sami Lukis and Yumi Stynes breakfast show gets a new producer, Abigail Benaud, from October 1. She held a similar role at 4KQ Brisbane, which now replaces her with 97.3FM producer Siobhain McDonnell.

Electronics Arts promotes Andrew Wilson to CEO 

US video game publisher Electronic Arts Inc. promoted its EVP for executive vice president of EA sports and its online portal for digital games and services, Andrew Wilson, to CEO. Current CEO Larry Probst becomes executive chairman. In March former CEO John Riccitiello stepped down due to “shortcomings” in the company’s performance.

Changes at B&T 

B&T editor Alex Hayes leaves Cirrus Media on October 14. Cirrus also announced Dan Uglow and David Hovenden as directors of content and commercial for its media and travel properties.