To be honest this appointment seemed such a foregone conclusion, I thought it had already been confirmed. But anyway, SonyBMG have confirmed that Tim Bowen will become the major label's Chief Operating Officer, reporting to the company's newly appointed CEO Rolf Schmidt-Holtz. He will have a wide remit, with specific responsibilities for coordinating international operations, especially in the digital domain, as well as leading global Strategic Marketing, Legacy, Master Works and Sales Enterprise divisions.
As previously reported, the role of COO at SonyBMG became vacant at the end of last year when Michael Smellie stepped down from the position. At the time Smellie's decision to retire reportedly heightened concerns among former BMG executives regarding the leadership of then CEO Andy Lack. Smellie was the most senior former BMG man at the merged record company, and concerns that former Sony Music man Lack would put another former Sony person into the number two role was rumoured to be a catalyst for internal moves to remove Lack. At the time Bowen, chairman of BMG UK ahead of the SonyBMG merger, was put forward as the lead contender for the COO role, possibly to placate concerned BMG executives.
However, since Smellie's departure Lack, of course, has stepped back from the CEO role, which has been taken by the former BMG chief Schmidt-Holtz. Therefore, arguably, Bowen's appointment now heightens Bertelsmann's power at the top of the merged record company, although senior execs will presumably make much of the fact Bowen began his career in the music industry working for Sony.
In fact that's exactly what Schmidt-Holtz did when he got on the phone to CMU yesterday (he's lucky he found us in, we were having a chilled weekend in the office): "Tim brings to this role a deep understanding of both the creative and business aspects of the music industry. He has extensive experience with both of the companies that came together to form SonyBMG, and the dedication, passion and vision that are necessary to lead the joint venture into the future. He is clearly the right choice for this key post, and it is a true pleasure to announce his appointment."
Bowen himself added: "I'm delighted to have been given this opportunity. With a dynamic roster of current artists, a catalogue that includes an incredible number of legendary recordings, and impressive capabilities in the areas of marketing, distribution and digital initiatives, we have everything we need to establish SonyBMG as the clear leader in the global marketplace. I look forward to continuing my close working relationship with Rolf, as well as with Managing Directors from around the world and the entire SonyBMG team, as we realise the full potential of the joint venture."