Top row L-R. Nicole Richards / Mark Holland / Alicia Reynolds Bottom L-R. Fiona Zamparutti / Yvette Cachia / Alisa Lai / Liam Dennis
Universal Music Australia (UMA) has made a raft of senior management promotions and appointments.
Alicia Reynolds has been named GM, EMI Records Australia, while Mark Holland has been upped to Managing Director, EMI Records Australia.
Joining UMA’s senior leadership team alongside Reynolds and Holland is Alisa Lai, who has been named Head of Commercial Growth & Innovation, UMA, and Fiona Zamparutti, who has been promoted to Senior Director, Streaming, UMA.
Liam Dennis takes on the role of GM, Catalogue, UMA, and Nicole Richards becomes Co-Managing Director, Island Records Australia.
The appointments are part of what UMA describes as a “succession plan” developed by George Ash, President, Australia & New Zealand, and John O’Donnell, EMI Australia, MD.
O’Donnell will be retiring from the company on September 30.
The team will also be joined by Yvette Cachia, who has been appointed SVP, People, Inclusion & Culture, UMA, effective August 22.
Cachia joins UMA from the New South Wales Department of Education, where she served as Chief People Officer & Deputy Secretary.
She will report to George Ash and Eric Hutcherson, UMG’s global Chief People and Inclusion Officer.
Mark Holland takes on the role of Managing Director from his current position of General Manager of A&R at EMI.
He first joined the label in 2006 as an A&R Scout, and has since worked with names such as Troye Sivan, Meg Mac, The Avalanches, Gretta Ray, and Cat & Calmell.
Holland is joined on EMI’s senior leadership team by Alicia Reynolds, who has been appointed as General Manager, EMI Australia.
Reynolds joined the label in 2014, and currently serves as EMI’s GM, Marketing and Media.
Nicole Richards, meanwhile, has served as General Manager, Island Records Australia since 2019, and joined UMA in 2012.
Before then, she served for six years at EMI Australia & Virgin Records Australia.
“Having led this great label for the past two decades, I could not be prouder of all that we accomplished.”
John O’Donnell
John O’Donnell, said: “Having led this great label for the past two decades, I could not be prouder of all that we accomplished.
“Now, after two years working diligently towards a succession plan to lead the label into a new era, I am excited to hand the reins of EMI Australia over to Mark Holland and Alicia Reynolds.
“Mark is a dynamic, next-generation executive with huge success in A&R, who will lead the label into a fantastic new era, while Alicia is an industry-respected executive that always motivates our artists and team with her passion, belief and tenacity to succeed across every project.
“I couldn’t be happier for them both and for our artists.”
“We’re at a pivotal moment culturally, commercially and creatively in the Australian music industry.”
George Ash
George Ash, added: “We’re at a pivotal moment culturally, commercially and creatively in the Australian music industry.
“The team being promoted to help bring UMA into its next chapter are amongst the most talented executives with whom I’ve ever worked.”
“On behalf of UMA, I want to express my profound gratitude to John for his outstanding leadership, and for helping to recruit and develop this next generation of leaders who are ready, eager and committed to deliver incredible things for our roster, for the broader Australian music ecosystem and music fans worldwide.”
UMA says it has achieved “unparalleled success breaking and developing the careers of international artists in the territory.”
Amongst Olivia Rodrigo’s many successes in 2021, which includes a seven week run at the top of Spotify‘s Weekly Top 200 Global Chart, the UMA artist claimed the best-selling album of the year in Australia with her debut Sour.
Australia’s top-selling song of the year was Heat Waves by British group Glass Animals, which stayed at No.1 for six weeks on the ARIA Chart.
Following the success of Heat Waves, Dave Bayley, lead singer of the Oxford, UK-born band, also signed a global publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) in May.Music Business Worldwide
