BMG Promotes Ben Katovsky to COO, Ama Walton to Global General Counsel
BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch announced today in Berlin the addition of a pair of top executives in his head office.
BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch announced today in Berlin the addition of a pair of top executives in his head office.
Ben Katovsky — currently EVP Global Rights Administration — has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer, responsible for the key service functions contributing to the growth of the business. In addition to his existing service areas of rights administration, digital service administration and supply chain management, he will now take responsibility across BMG’s operational functions including both recorded and publishing royalty service, neighbouring rights and production music administration, US mechanical licensing and group technology. Katovsky joined BMG in April 2015 as SVP Operations Strategy, reporting into CFO Maximilian Dressendoerfer.
Ama Walton — previously General Counsel Europe — is promoted to Global General Counsel and Chief Human Resources Officer, responsible for all human resources functions and the HR teams across BMG’s more than 750-strong worldwide team in addition to her ongoing responsibilities for legal, digital and business affairs as well as matters to do with copyright law, media policy and relationships with collecting societies. Walton joined BMG in June 2017 as General Counsel Europe from Constantin Film, Germany’s biggest independent film production and distribution company.
Said Masuch, “Ten years after its launch BMG continues to grow strongly. That growth requires a constant evolution of our management structure. I am delighted to announce this significant realignment which will create more bandwidth for me and Max as we continue to grow the world’s fourth biggest music company.”
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BMG’s 14 offices across 12 core music markets now represent over 2.5m songs and recordings, including the catalogues of Chrysalis, Bug, Virgin, Mute, Sanctuary, Primary Wave and Talpa Music, as well as Nashville’s BBR Music Group, which this week announced a major restructuring.
BMG is owned by international media, services and education company Bertelsmann, which also includes the broadcaster RTL Group, the trade book publisher Penguin Random House, the magazine publisher Gruner + Jahr, the service provider Arvato, the Bertelsmann Printing Group, the Bertelsmann Education Group, and Bertelsmann Investments, an international network of funds.