This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Brands & Merch Business News Labels & Publishers
Universal “centralises” the rosters of merch businesses
By Chris Cooke | Published on Wednesday 18 May 2022
Universal Music has announced that it is “centralising the rosters” of its two big merch businesses – those being Bravado and Epic Rights. It’s the latest move to more closely align the major’s merchandise operations.
Universal – already a big player in the music merchandise business via Bravado – bought US-based Epic Rights in 2019, with the two merch companies then operating side by side within the major music group. Epic co-founder Dell Furano continued to head up his company even after the Universal acquisition, until his death last year, aged 71, from cancer.
More recently, another Epic Rights co-founder, Jesper Poulsen, was appointed as General Manager of Bravado. In that role he oversees the day-to-day operations of both Bravado and Epic. And now, as part of the “centralising” of the two companies’ rosters, another Epic exec has a new role encompassing both Bravado and Epic, with Lisa Streff becoming SVP Global Licensing for the wider Universal merch business.
Straff will report into Poulsen, who in turn reports into Bravado President Matt Young, who says: “We are continuing to grow our global licensing and retail business with a more unified and complementary strategy across both Bravado and Epic Rights, while maintaining individual strategies and priorities. With Jesper leading the team as General Manager and Lisa driving global licensing strategy, we have the right team in place to ensure growth for our artists in this area”.
Commenting on her new role, Streff adds: “This is a magical time to be in music licensing and merchandising. I am honoured and excited to collaborate with Matt, Jesper and the Bravado team in this expanded role and to work with some of the biggest artists in the world under the Bravado banner, while continuing to spearhead the programmes for our Epic Rights’ talent”.
