ICMP’s making big moves with new leaders in their Asia Pacific and metrics groups, shaking things up.
ICMP, the international association representing music publishers, has announced the appointment of key executives to its Industry Metrics Expert Group and its Asia Pacific regional group. John Reston, currently the president of global administration at Universal Music Publishing Group, takes the helm as chair of the newly-formed Industry Metrics Expert Group. This specialized group is made up of senior representatives from member companies and selected executives from ICMP’s 80 national trade associations.
Reston’s leadership will focus on advancing initiatives that were pivotal in crafting ICMP’s inaugural Music Publishing Markets Analysis. His expertise is expected to enhance the group’s productivity and influence in shaping industry standards and practices.
Simultaneously, Damian Rinaldi, the CEO of AMPAL and a member of ICMP’s Australasian national trade body, has been appointed as the chair of the ICMP Global Regional Group for Asia Pacific. This group is one of five regional bodies within ICMP, which also includes North America, Europe, Latin America, and Africa. Each regional body is tasked with addressing specific challenges and opportunities relevant to their markets.
Joining Rinaldi as the newly appointed vice chair for the APAC region is Frederica Wong, who serves as the Asia director for Kobalt Music Group. Wong’s experience and insights are expected to contribute significantly to the group’s efforts to navigate the complexities of the rapidly evolving Asian music market.
John Phelan, ICMP’s director general, remarked that the Asia Pacific region is vital for ICMP, citing its fast-paced growth and a range of challenges from advocacy to market dynamics across various countries, including Australia, South Korea, and India. He emphasized that the metrics group has laid the groundwork for the Music Publishing Markets Analysis survey, hinting at exciting developments ahead.
Jackie Alway, ICMP chair and Universal Music Publishing Group’s EVP/MPA U.K., underlined the importance of these expert and regional groups, stating they are essential for guiding the future directions of the music industry on multiple fronts.
ICMP represents approximately 90% of the world’s commercially released music, boasting a catalog of over 170 million tracks. Last year, the organization reported that the collective earnings from 16 major music markets exceeded $11 billion, with the global total anticipated to be even higher. Recently, Believe Music Publishing joined ICMP as a worldwide member, further strengthening its professional membership base.