The EMI Group has announced the appointment of Mike Clasper and Billy Mann to its Investor Board. Both will help the major's new owners Terra Firma "transform" the company from being a boring old record company into a shiny new multi-stream cross-environment artist-development content-venture-manipulation machine.
Clasper was previously CEO of airport company BAA plc - so, another new appointment from outside the music biz. Mann, though, does have a music background, him being a record producer, song writer and music entrepreneur. As previously reported, Mann had been tipped for a senior role at EMI US, though yesterday's announcement - that he will, in fact, simply join the strategic Investor Board - seemingly backs up claims by Hands that reports that new recruits would take top management roles were untrue.
On the new appointments, Hands said this: "I am delighted to welcome Mike and Billy to the Investor Board of EMI. Mike has had extensive experience of running successful businesses across the world and leading innovation in a variety of business sectors. Billy meanwhile will help balance what is a very business and consumer focused investor board by providing creative input. We are all looking forward to their contributions. The recorded music industry today faces some enormous challenges but also tremendous opportunities to build on the central role that music plays in all our lives. With the arrival of Mike and Billy I feel confident we have a team that can work alongside EMI employees and artists to identify and exploit those opportunities and build EMI's powerful market position over the long-term".