As Chief Legal Officer and Chief Operating Officer of the National Music Publishers’ Association, Danielle Aguirre oversees all of NMPA’s legal, business and policy objectives. Her role is to protect and enforce the copyrights and intellectual property interests of songwriters and music publishers. Aguirre has aggressively fought digital piracy and infringement by litigating against digital platforms, and she works with the largest companies, digital services and record labels to ensure that publishers and songwriters are being fairly compensated for the use of their songs.

Aguirre was integrally involved in the negotiation, drafting and passage of the Music Modernization Act, legislation that amended US copyright law and led to the creation of a new licensing company, The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC). Having co-lead a team that developed the MLC, she currently serves as the statutorily designated non-voting publisher representative on the organisation’s Board. In 2018, Billboard honored her as the Women in Music Co-Executive of the Year for her work on the MMA and The MLC.

Prior to joining NMPA, Aguirre was an attorney at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison LLP. She received her JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and her BA from Georgetown University.

Prof. Dr. Christian Baierle studied law with a focus on media law in Hamburg and Oxford. He earned his doctorate in 2003 with a thesis on ‘The Distribution of Musical Works on the Internet’. Following his bar admission, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard in 2007/2008 and finished his second academic book (Prof. degree qualification) with a study on the history and business of music publishing.

As the owner of ROBA Music Publishing, one of the world’s leading independent music publishers, he oversees strategic business development and the company’s digital and AI-driven transformation. He has also become a leading expert on M&A in music publishing in Germany, closing more than 30 acquisitions for ROBA in recent years. 

Since 2004, he has served on the Popular Music and New Media Committees of the German Music Publishers Association (DMV); from 2010 – 2015 he sat on the Board of Germany’s second-oldest trade association, representing more than 400 publishers. He is the author of numerous publications on music law and the music industry, lectures regularly, and serves as an expert speaker on music publishing for the European Commission. His 800-page book ‘Music Publishing’ is the standard business and academic reference in the field in German-speaking countries.

Annette Barrett

Annette Barrett has held the position of Managing Director at Reverb Music, one of the UK’s most successful independent music publishers, since 2001. During that time, she has worked with high profile and successful songwriters, including Nitin Sawhney, Jamie Hartman, Peter Gordeno, and Matteo Saggese. Following the company’s 2012 acquisition by New York-based independent music company Reservoir, Barrett’s role has expanded to include the pursuit of intercontinental opportunities for the company’s international roster, which now includes talented names such as Cutfather, Katie Melua, and Lucy Rose. Barrett began her career in music publishing 30 years ago, in the Copyright Department of UK-based independent music publisher, Carlin Music. She worked her way up the industry ladder, eventually to the role of International Director at Virgin Music.   Over the course of her career, Barrett has signed and worked with a long list of world class songwriters and recording artists, including David Bowie, George Michael, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Madonna, Prince, Sting, and The Police, to name just a few. Even with such an impressive roster under her belt, Annette remains dedicated to the development and promotion of new talent, helping up-and-coming writers hone their skills and discover the markets that best suit their unique sensibilities. In 2020, she was elected President and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Independent Music Publishers International Forum (IMPF).

Nicky Bignell has worked in the UK broadcasting industry for over 30 years, specialising in music rights for television, radio and online. She currently negotiates the BBC’s blanket music licences, and is responsible for the BBC’s relationships with music industry bodies in the UK including the MPA, Musicians’ Union, The Ivors Academy, PRS for Music, MCPS and PPL/VPL. Bignell oversees a team of music rights experts who are responsible for music reporting, sync, clearances and contracting composers to write new music for the BBC’s output.

Birgit Böcher has been Managing Director of the DMV since 2019, having worked for the organisation since 2004. Prior to this, she gained extensive experience in the music business, including at BMG Entertainment and as an artist manager. As an experienced representative of the German music industry, she is involved in numerous committees: She is a member of the Supervisory Board of Initiative Musik (the federal government’s pop music funding agency), the Executive Committee of the German Music Council, the Global Board of Directors of the ICMP, and the Council of Spokespersons of the Academy for Popular Music. As a Board member of the Music Publishing Summer School, she is also actively committed to the training and promotion of young professionals in the music industry. A degree in art history complements her broad industry profile. 

Mando Chastouki is the founder and Director of Lyst Music Publishing, a London-based, women-led independent publisher specialising in heavy music, including metal, rock and punk. A dedicated fan of the scene, she is passionate about supporting independent artists and niche genres within the global music industry. Alongside Lyst, Chastouki works across music rights and M&A consultancy as part of the Casini Corporate Finance team, advising publishers, labels and music tech companies on strategic transactions, as well as catalogue acquisitions and fundraising. Her recent work includes advising on the Ninja Tune x Concord transaction. She has also consulted for investment funds on copyright, royalty flows and collective management structures. Previously, she worked at Music Ally, where she developed copyright education modules and worked with various CMOs, rights companies, funds and organisations including MMF UK and FAC. She later worked at Orfium in business development across YouTube monetisation and cue sheet management, working with labels, publishers, production music companies and broadcasters, and currently lectures on music publishing at ICMP University.

Indi Chawla is Head of International Relations at the MLC. The MLC is a non-profit organisation which has revolutionised the way songwriters and publishers are paid for their music that is streamed and downloaded on digital platforms in the US. Chawla’s impact on the international music publishing industry spans over three decades leading her to senior management positions covering all aspects of right administration including the creation of global best practices on the management of music publishing data. Committed to empowering songwriters worldwide, Chawla conducts educational webinars and workshops, reaching creators across the globe. A prominent speaker at industry events, she actively collaborates with international organisations to support intellectual property awareness and compensation for songwriters. In 2024, she was honoured as one of Music Week’s Women In Music Roll of Honour, recognising her as a ‘game changer’ in the music industry.

Founder of Rights Intelligence AB, Collin is a legally trained executive with over 15 years of experience in global music licensing, digital rights, and commercial negotiations. With a background in both law and music business, she specialises in copyright, digital business models, royalty structures, and stakeholder strategy across the evolving digital music ecosystem.  Collin’s work focuses on leading complex, high-value negotiations with DSPs, rights holders, and industry stakeholders, using market intelligence, financial analysis, and usage data to drive commercially sustainable outcomes. She has extensive experience navigating licensing frameworks, platform economics, and rights management processes on an international scale. Combining legal expertise with commercial insight, Collin brings a strategic and data-driven approach to digital licensing and music rights management, with a strong focus on transparency, long-term value creation, and sustainable industry growth.

Sue Crawshaw, has worked across all aspects of the music industry over more than three decades. She started her career in music publishing working for major and independent companies, as well as the US performing rights society BMI. In 2005, she founded Pick And Mix Music, a TV and film creative company. As a music supervisor, she has worked on successful BAFTA and Emmy Award winning TV productions for Netflix, Apple TV, Amazon, and across all UK broadcasters. Titles include The Crown (seasons 1 and 2), Department Q (seasons 1 and 2), Who Is Erin Carter, Three Pines, Still Up, and The Lady.

Fred Davis is a Partner at Raine. Since joining the firm in July 2014, Davis has focused on both advising and investing across the global digital media/technology sector for high growth and earlier stage companies, including SoundCloud, Firebird, Duetti, Downtown Music, Chord Music and Moonbug. Prior to Raine, Fred was one of the three Founding Partners of CODE Advisors, where he worked with companies such as Spotify, Supercell, and Shazam. Before founding CODE in 2010, Davis was the founding Partner of leading entertainment/new media law firm, Davis Shapiro & Lewit.

Emmanuel Delétang is CEO and founder of 22D Music Group – a music publishing company with expertise in the management of music rights and a special focus on audiovisual industries. Delétang started in the music industry working for Sacem in 1996, then spent 10 years managing the French arm of British music publishing group Palan Music Publishing. In 2006, he founded 22D Music Group with his partners and friends Yolanda de Felipe and Sören Bauermeister, respectively MD of 22D Spain and 22D Germany. 22D is a boutique company by essence, with a worldwide coverage. It is a direct member of 25 CMO’s, with a team of 22 people in Paris, and offices in Berlin, New York, Los Angeles, Madrid and London. Delétang has been a member of the IMPF Board for the past six years. Along with other members of the team, 22D has made a significant contribution to the success of the Palma Global Music Summit.

Julien Dumon is EVP Digital & Development and member of the Executive Committee of SACEM since 2022. In this role, he focuses on developing digital earnings and improving the value share for creators and international partners. He also explores all new media businesses for the purpose of creating value-added services and diversifying sources of revenues for SACEM members and partners. He has played a central role in the growth of SACEM’s online revenues since joining the organisation in 2015.

Over the course of his career, he has served as Head of Business Affairs for digital and 360° activities at Universal Music France, and as VP Music Rights at Deezer where he oversaw the licensing strategy for music catalogues and negotiations with recording and publishing industries worldwide.

Jane Dyball is a music industry veteran and strategic consultant. Formerly CEO of the £200m turnover businesses owned by the Music Publishers Association, she steered MCPS into financial recovery, paying down its £20m debt and overhauling its relationship with its owners, customers and service providers. In 2018, she won the Outstanding Contribution award at Music Week’s Women in Music Awards, in 2019 she won an Ivors Academy Gold Badge and, in 2022, the MPA Gold Badge. Prior to that, Dyball spent over a decade running Legal & Business Affairs internationally at major publisher Warner/Chappell Music and was additionally responsible for international digital strategy, developing markets and public policy. Dyball is passionate about access to opportunity in the arts. She is Co-chair of Attitude Is Everything, Co-founder of the Primadonna Festival, a Trustee of Suffolk Artlink, and a mentor for tech music incubators including Abbey Road Red. She is a founder Advisory Board member for Music Tech UK and has a business transformation consultancy business, Laffittes Ltd.

Andrea England is an award-winning singer-songwriter, the founder, curator, and host of Toronto’s hottest songwriter series, Four Chords & the Truth; has released two critically-acclaimed albums (with a third album slated for release in October 2023); regularly lands film & TV placements; and has had cuts with a wide variety of artists from Canada’s Canadian Country Female Artist of the Year, Meghan Patrick, to international popstar Nicole Scherzinger. On the business side, this self-published songwriter (Lemonade Factory Music) also supports music publishers and other self-published songwriters as Associate Director of Publisher Engagement and Strategy at CMRRA, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Songwriters Association of Canada

Tomas brings more than 25 years of high-impact leadership across the music industry, finance, and professional services, with a proven track record spanning the computer, telecom, and entertainment sectors. He has consistently operated at the intersection of creativity and commerce, driving growth, innovation, and strategic transformation.

At STIM, Ericsson held several senior roles, including CFO and Managing Director of ICE (the International Copyright Enterprise, a landmark joint venture with PRS), before returning as Executive Director of Media and International Markets. His leadership and vision led to his appointment as Deputy CEO in 2010, where he played a key role in shaping the organisation’s international strategy.

Prior to joining AMRA, Ericsson served as President of Society Relations at Kobalt Music Group in New York, where he strengthened global partnerships and advanced modern music rights management. His earlier career includes executive roles such as Managing Director at Universal Pictures Scandinavia, Finance Director for Dell in the Netherlands and Denmark, and VP Finance for Skandia America in New York – further underscoring his broad expertise in financial leadership and global business operations.

Ibán García del Blanco served as member of the European Parliament from 2019 to 2024. There, he was EP S&D coordinator in the JURI Committee, co-negotiator of the Artificial Intelligence Act and rapporteur for the Cultural Diversity And The Conditions For Authors In The European Music Streaming Market report. He was the EP coordinator of the S&D in the Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence, and responsible for monitoring the governing bodies of the EUIPO.

He was Chairman of Acción Cultural Española, and has a Master in Law, specialised in cultural management and intellectual property.

From October 2024, he´s International Director of LASKER and is also a member of the Royal Board of the National Library of Spain.

Edward Ginis is a seasoned entrepreneur and investor with over two decades of experience in entertainment, content distribution, and technology. His expertise spans large-scale distributed systems, supply chain design, web3, AR/VR, spatial computing, and AI. Ginis began his career in Los Angeles as a software engineer, later taking on significant roles at Concord Music Group and Village Roadshow Entertainment Group, where he focused on corporate technology and software integration.

In 2013, Ginis co-founded OpenPlay, a leading content and rights management platform in the music industry. His leadership was instrumental in driving feature development, expanding client growth, and championing innovative industry practices that have improved rights management for all stakeholders. Ginis also advises tech startups like Westcott Multimedia and ScreenSpace, and he co-founded Proto, a pioneering hologram company. His strategic insights into emerging technologies are reflected in these ventures. An active participant in industry events such as Music Biz, SXSW, and A2IM, Ginis is a thought leader on the integration of modern technology into entertainment and content distribution. 

Jaime Gough is Managing Director of independent music publisher Concord Music Publishing ANZ (formerly Native Tongue).

Concord Music Publishing is a global, full-service, independent music publisher offering bespoke creative support from its A&R, synchronisation and marketing teams and diligent administration by its in-house Copyright, Licensing, Income Tracking and Royalty departments.

Gough is Chair of the Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society Limited (AMCOS), a Director of the Australasian Performing Right Association Limited (APRA), and a Director of the Australasian Music Publishers Association Limited (AMPAL). He also serves on the Board of Support Act, Australia’s music industry charity, delivering crisis relief services to musicians, managers, crew and music workers across all genres.

During his career, Gough has represented a wide range of songwriters and catalogues including Marlon Williams, The Amity Affliction, Courtney Barnett, M-Phazes, Jon Hume, Stuart Crichton, Tia Gostelow, Don McGlashan, Aldous Harding, Luude, Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, Prince, Spandau Ballet, Mark Ronson, Daft Punk, Pink Floyd, Rodgers & Hammerstein and Phil Collins.

He has a double bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing & Management from Monash University and worked in artist management at Mayday Management and music licensing at Mana Music before joining Native Tongue in 2005.

Grammy nominated, 4x BMI Award winner, 2x Ivor Novello winner, Brit Award winner, Music Week Award winner, 4x Music Business Worldwide A&R Awards nominee, and 2021 Oscar shortlist nominee, Jamie Hartman has written, produced, and performed hundreds of cuts in the pop, singer-songwriter, and dance genres. Working with a range of major label artists and top talent around the world, Hartman’s credits include tracks for Lewis Capaldi, Rudimental, Kygo, Backstreet Boys, Jennifer Hudson, Guy Sebastian, Marlon Roudette, Conrad Sewell, James Bay, Kylie Minogue, Parachute, Anastacia, Birdy, and Lena, among many others. In 2023, Hartman collaborated with Lewis Capaldi on Heavenly Kind Of State Of Mind from Capaldi’s No.1 UK Official Chart album Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent. He also co-wrote Rudimental’s Top 5 hit Dancing Is Healing with Charlotte Plank and Vibe Chemistry

Pascale Khalaf has over 25 years of experience in the music industry, with a focus on music publishing. She started her career at EMI Music Publishing and later worked with other major companies, including Warner/Chappell. There, she led the creative and licensing team for 11 years and played a key role in shaping the company’s overall strategy as part of the senior management team. 

With vast expertise in sync licensing, creative, and international affairs, she now oversees a high volume of global licensing for the ABKCO catalogues and roster, which includes The Rolling Stones, Sam Cooke, The Animals, The Kinks, Bobby Womack and more. 

Alongside corporate management roles, Khalaf has served as lead artist contact for licensing and creative across several iconic catalogues and songwriters. 

She has been recognised in Music Week’s Roll of Honour and currently serves as a Board Director at the Music Publishers Association in addition to actively participating in mentorship programmes.

Emmanuel Legrand is a Paris-based journalist and media consultant, specialising in the entertainment business and cultural trends. He is the editor of news platform Creative Industries News and the author of IMPF’s Global Market Report.

Cecilia León Rodrigo studied law, specialising in copyright, as well as receiving a Master’s in journalism from El País. She is President of Ediciones Joaquín Rodrigo, as well as being on the Executive Board of the Spanish authors society, SGAE. There, she represents AEDEM, the Spanish association of independent music publishers, of which she is also President.

Robert Levine is music industry journalist, based in Berlin. Previously, he was the Deputy Ediitor at Large of Billboard.  He is the author of the book Free Ride, which the New York Times Book Review called “a book that should change the debate about the future of culture.” The book, his first, was also praised by Businessweek, Fortune, and the Financial Times. As a writer, he has covered pop culture and technology for almost three decades and contributed to Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Businessweek and The New York Times; appeared as an expert on NPR, the BBC, and CNN.

Helienne Lindvall is the President of the European Composer & Songwriter Alliance (ECSA), as well as an award-winning professional songwriter, musician and columnist. She’s the former Chair of the Ivor Novello Awards, Board Director of the Ivors Academy and Trustee of the Ivors Academy Trust.

She’s also the writer behind the Guardian music industry columns Behind The Music and Plugged In, and is the former Head of Business & Songwriter relations for song data management platform Auddly/Sessions, backed by hitmakers Max Martin and Abba’s Björn Ulvaeus, and Director of Business Development and Artist Relations, LANDR UK. Hailing from Sweden, Lindvall worked as a session singer, recording artist and performer in Stockholm and NYC before settling in London, where she signed a publishing deal with BMG Scandinavia and, later, Universal.

Since then, she’s been working with recording artists on both sides of the Atlantic, including Roger Sanchez, with whom she wrote the club hit Turn On The Music, Big Daddy Wilson and The Dark Tenor, collaborating with award-winning writers including Jörgen Elofsson (Kelly Clarkson, Britney Spears), Patrik Berger (Icona Pop, Robyn), Steve McEwan (Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood) and Negin Djafari (Becky Hill, Drake, Craig David). In 2016, her song A Better Man made the UK Eurovision finals. Recent releases include Unwant You and Locked In Your Love with Menrva, Glass Keys and Dani Senior, and Let My Love Shine Through with Ada Vox. Lindvall has written columns for Digital Music News, The Musician, The Australian and STIM-Magasinet. She regularly appears on Sky News, the BBC, Irish National Radio and Swedish National Radio, discussing songwriters’ rights, copyright and other music industry issues.

Sarah Liversedge Platz has a First-Class degree In Composition from Bath Spa University. Following graduation, she embarked upon a media career at BBC as Floor Manager for UK Television before side-stepping into a TV Researcher role in entertainment. She then moved over to the commercial arm of the BBC as Programme Liaison Executive before being appointed as Deputy Head of Music Publishing and then promoted to Head of Music. In this role, she played a major part in developing and expanding what became one of the leading media music publishing companies in the UK. In 2004, Sarah founded independent music publishing company BDi Music – a thriving multimillion-pound music publishing business garnering many accolades including a Grammy and four Ivor Novello Awards. She is also Creative Director at Bucks Music Group, Co-Director of The Movement London (a co-venture publishing company with multi-platinum producer Jake Gosling) and was recently appointed President of The Music Publishers Association, Ireland.

In 2013, Liversedge Platz was nominated for a Music Producer’s Guild Award in the Unsung Hero category, and she also received an ASCAP Award as exclusive publisher of Ed Sheeran’s hit song Lego House. In 2014, she was included on the Roll Of Honour at the Women In Music Awards. She is also the proud co-publisher of 2016 Grammy award-winning Song Of The Year, Thinking Out Loud, for which she received a global Publisher representation recognition at the ASCAP Awards. In 2017 Liversedge Platz was presented a Gold Badge Award from the Ivors Academy, and in 2022 she received an honorary doctorate from Bath Spa University. In 2024, Liversedge Platz received a prestigious Gold Badge from the UK Music Publisher’s Association in recognition of her services to the music publishing sector. She is a passionate and experienced music publisher who develops the careers of unbeatable, innovative and creative artists, producers, songwriters and composers. career blossomed initially at the BBC: starting out as a TV Floor Manager moving to Researcher and then to Liaison Executive to heading up the music publishing division at BBC Worldwide.

In 2004, Liversedge Platz set up her own independent music publishing company, BDi Music which, 20 years later, is a thriving, multi-million pound business that has earned Ivor Novello, BAFTA, RTS and Kerrang Awards. BDi owns and controls a highly reputable and valuable catalogue of songs including over 30 Ed Sheeran co-writes. Liversedge Platz is also Director A&R at Bucks Music Group, Director of The Movement London and Board Director of The Music Publishers Association Ireland. She is one of the key industry advisers on the PRS Foundation Momentum Fund. Liversedge Platz has personally been the recipient of several industry awards and nominations, including a Gold Badge Award from The Ivors Academy in 2017 and a Gold Badge from The Music Publishers Association in 2024. She received an Honorary Doctorate in Music from Bath Spa University in 2022.

In 2024, Liversedge Platz received a prestigious Gold Badge from the UK Music Publisher’s Association in recognition of her services to the music publishing sector. She is a passionate and experienced music publisher who develops the careers of unbeatable, innovative and creative artists, producers, songwriters and composers.

Jennifer Mitchell is the founder and CEO of Red Brick Songs Inc., a global independent music publishing company celebrating its 25th year in the industry. Mitchell is Vice Chair of the Board of SOCAN and Chair of the Board of Music Publishers Canada, as well as serving on the Board of Directors of both IMPEL and IMPF.

Niclas Molinder is a songwriter, music producer and musician who now also runs several organisations to innovate in music industry data and rights management with a focus on music creators. After 20 years of songwriting and producing for artists such as Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Mary J Blige and The Jonas Brothers, as well as running his own publishing company RedFly Music, the Swedish entrepreneur decided to help solve the music industry’s value gap. In 2014, together with Max Martin, Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA and Avicii originator Ash Pournouri, Molinder founded Session – the world’s first independent global hub for authoritative pre-registration music metadata sourced from creators. Molinder’s vision is to set a standard for how the roles of music creators and their representatives are identified within a song so that everyone is credited and correctly compensated when their music is used. In 2016, together with Max Martin and Björn Ulvaeus, Molinder also launched the Music Rights Awareness Foundation – an apolitical foundation that works to increase knowledge of music rights worldwide, adjusted to the future industry – has partnered with WIPO, a United Nations agency, to launch CLIP, a website designed to educate songwriters about intellectual property rights.

Emilio is the Managing Director of Rimas Publishing, where he heads three wholly independent publishing companies: RSM Publishing LLC (ASCAP), Risamar Publishing LLC (BMI), and Megasongs Publishing LLC (SESAC). Emilio has guided Rimas Publishing’s development, growth, and expansion, positioning the company as a leader in the industry with remarkable success and outstanding milestones in Latin music. Emilio leads an international powerhouse comprising over 140 highly acclaimed authors and producers from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Venezuela, Uruguay, Nicaragua, and the United States. This diverse roster represents thousands of copyrights and has earned Rimas Publishing the coveted title of Billboard Latin Publisher of the Year in both 2021 and 2022, in addition to GRAMMY, Latin GRAMMY, and multiple ASCAP and BMI Latin awards. His role involves the careful administration and management of publishing licenses for an impressive catalog of talents, including Bad Bunny, Eladio Carrión, Subelo NEO, Mora, Pailita, Cris MJ, Marcianeke, Corina Smith, Tempo, DJ Negro, Lizzy Parra, and many others. Emilio’s expertise has enabled lucrative partnerships with major global brands, facilitating collaborations with industry giants such as Adidas, Amazon, Univision, NBC, Corona, Cheetos, Netflix, Spotify, TIDAL, HBO, Rockstar Games, Comcast, AT&T, Disney, SBS, iHeart Radio, and many others.

Adriana Moscoso del Prado is General Manager at GESAC. Prior to this she was Legal Counsel of the State Society for External Cultural Action (SEACEX); and Legal Adviser for EU and international affairs to the General Society of Authors and Publishers (SGAE); Director of Legal and Public Affairs of CISAC; and General Director for Cultural Industries, Copyright and Cooperation at the Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sports. She has also been a City council member for Madrid and a spokesperson at the Culture Commission.

She was Chair of the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) in 2024, and a UNESCO expert in 2024 for the ‘Reflexion Group on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions in the Digital Environment’ in the same year. Prior to that, she was winner of the Antonio Delgado Award 2023 (Spain) for “her long professional career in the defense of copyright, and was made Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture in 2022.

She has been a lecturer on copyright and cultural industries in several universities and seminars, both at national and international institutions, and has also participated in different legal and cultural publications.

Teri Nelson Carpenter is the Founder and CEO of Reel Muzik Werks, LLC. An innovative full service independent music publisher that specialises in global writer and publisher administration, licensing and clearance, and music supervision for all media. Her executive experience includes a background in performing rights management at BMI in Film & TV Relations, and overseeing the global music business for Fox Family Worldwide and Music Production & Administration for MGM. Carpenter has been responsible for either score music and/or placements of songs in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol II, Spiderman: Homecoming, Conjuring 2, Puss In Boots, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, The Handmaiden’s Tale, Big Sky, Versace: A Crime Story, America’s Got Talent, Dancing With The Stars and NCIS: Los Angeles to name a few. Carpenter serves on the Executive Board of the IMPF and is a member of the IPAC for the NMPA. She is the President Emeritus of the AIMP LA Chapter and recently served as the first AIMP National Chair. Carpenter is also the Publisher Chair of the CISAC SPF A/V Group. She is also a member of NARAS, CMA, ACM and Leadership Music – Class of 2022.

Molly Neuman is President of CD Baby, a leading music distribution company dedicated to empowering independent and self-releasing artists. As President, Neuman leads the strategy and management of Downtown’s primary D2C business, supporting millions of artists worldwide. She continues to shape CD Baby into the go-to platform for modern music creators, driving the launch of innovative technology, expanded artist services, and tailored marketing support to meet the evolving needs of musicians and songwriters. Neuman previously served as Chief Marketing Officer at Downtown, where she led marketing efforts for the company and its subsidiaries, including CD Baby, Curve, FUGA, Songtrust, and Downtown’s Artist & Label Services, Publishing, and Neighbouring Rights divisions. She also served as President of Downtown-company Songtrust, which, under her leadership, grew to manage more than 3 million copyrights for more than 350,000 writers in 145 countries. With a prolific career that has been focused on empowering musicians at all career stages, Neuman has been Head of Music at Kickstarter, Interim President and Vice President of the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), and has held senior roles in licensing in digital music, as well as label and artist management. Neuman currently serves on the Advisory Board of Women In Music, We Are Moving The Needle, and the Board of Amplify Arts Project. She has previously sat on the Boards of the Music Business Association, SoundExchange, and A2IM. 

In 2025, Neuman was awarded Music Week’s International Woman of the Year and has been recognised by Billboard in its 2018 Digital Power Players List, as well as its Women In Music Lists for every consecutive year from 2019 to 2025. Her musical career began as a drummer in Bratmobile, a punk band that was in the first wave of the riot grrrl movement.

Jules Parker is Chief Business Officer at MusicInfra.  MusicInfra is building infrastructure to fix one of the music industry’s oldest and most expensive problems – getting rightsholders paid correctly and on time. The company addresses critical challenges in rights management, enabling digital platforms and rightsholders to navigate an increasingly complex global landscape more efficiently. MusicInfra’s modular platform increases revenue and resources available for talent while making it easier for innovative platforms to work with music.

Before MusicInfra, Parker spent close to nine years at Spotify setting up and leading their Global Songwriter & Publishing Partnerships team, developing tools, products and marketing opportunities for songwriters and publishers – creating Songwriter Pages, Written By playlists, Spotify for Publishing and Spotify Songwriting. Prior to this, Parker spent four years running an artist and songwriter management company after working at PRS for Music. He started his career as a songwriter, artist and musician.

Cristina Perpiñá-Robert Navarro has been the Chief Executive Officer of the Sociedad General de Autores y Editores (SGAE) since April 2023. She has more than 25 years of experience in copyright and collective management and has held senior positions in international organisations such as the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC), serving as its Director of Legal and Public Affairs (2019-2023). Previously, Perpiñá-Robert worked at SGAE from 1998 to 2018, holding various positions such as Director of Regulatory Affairs and Digital Markets (2016-2018) and Director of Legal Services. A graduate of Law from the Complutense University of Madrid, she is a lecturer, speaker and regular contributor to international conferences and congresses on intellectual property, collective management and artificial intelligence. Perpiñá-Robert has also authored various publications on copyright and intellectual property.

Melanie Santa Rosa is Head of Copyright Administration at Third Side Music, an independent music publisher. She brings over 20 years of experience in music copyright administration, performing rights, licensing, and global societies. Prior to Third Side, she served as Executive Vice President of Global Digital Copyright Administration at Word Collections, and as Senior Vice President of Global Administration at Spirit Music Group, where she played a key role in expanding Spirit’s global administration footprint. She began her career at BMI, where she spent 10 years working with songwriters, publishers, and performing rights organisations worldwide. Santa Rosa serves as President of the AIMP New York Chapter and is a frequent speaker, writer, and advocate on music publishing and copyright issues. She is an NMPA Team 100 member, California Copyright Conference board member, and active member of the Society Publisher Forum. She previously served on the MLC Operations Advisory Committee and is passionate about ensuring independent publishers and their songwriters receive fair compensation in an increasingly complex global rights landscape. 

Elena Segal is Apple’s Global Senior Director of Music Publishing. Before moving into a business role to build and lead the Music Publishing team, she was involved in the expansion of iTunes around the world and responsible for licensing all of the publishing rights outside of the US for the launch of Apple Music in more than 100 countries. Segal joined Apple as a lawyer in 2006 and played a key role in the Apple Music Festival that ran for 10 years in London and saw performances from some of the biggest artists in the world. She is passionate about the creation of music, the craft of songwriting, and the ecosystem and industry that nurtures it.

Pam Sheyne is a multi-platinum songwriter, producer, artist, and mentor. An Ivor Novello Award winner with more than 50 million record sales and over 100 platinum certifications, her career spans global hit singles, chart-topping albums, and extensive film and TV placements. Pam is best known for co-writing Christina Aguilera’s breakout hit Genie In A Bottle and her songs have been recorded by artists including Miley Cyrus, Camila Cabello, Demi Lovato, Seal, Sinead O’Connor, The Backstreet Boys, and many more. As a vocalist, Sheyne has collaborated with Elton John, Celine Dion, The Pet Shop Boys, Tom Jones, Cyndi Lauper, Daryl Hall, and many others. Her work for film and television includes music for The Princess Diaries, Confessions Of A Teenage Drama Queen, The Young Victoria, Disney’s Camp Rock films, Hannah Montana, and numerous network and streaming series. Sheyne is currently back in the studio writing and recording for her duo artist project EVA with Sarah Bethany.

Sheyne is co-founder of SongWriterCamps with long-time collaborator, Richard Harris, launched in 2018. They offer in-person and virtual camps and workshops that focus on the craft of songwriting and songwriting for sync. As a result of SWC programmes, participants have expanded their sync catalogues, signed publishing deals and broadened their network of collaborators and music supervisors. Sheyne is also an advocate for songwriter rights. She was an original co-founding member of SONA, (Songwriters of North America), an advocacy group that fights to protect the value of copyrights in the new digital marketplace. SONA was instrumental in helping The Music Modernization Act pass in 2018.

Sacha Skarbek is a Grammy-winning and two-time Ivor Novello Award-winning British songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist whose work has shaped some of the biggest global hits of the past two decades. Best known for co-writing James Blunt’s You’re Beautiful and Miley Cyrus’ Wrecking Ball, he has also collaborated with artists including Adele, Lana Del Rey, Jason Mraz, Tears For Fears, James Bay, Alec Benjamin and Robbie Williams. In 2025, he received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song for Forbidden Road, co-written with Robbie Williams for the film Better Man. Alongside his songwriting career, Skarbek founded the pioneering Skarbek Songwriting Academy, an innovative programme dedicated to mentoring the next generation of songwriters through collaboration, creativity and mental wellbeing support.

Per Strömbäck has a background in game development as well as in publishing, since he joined the games industry in 1996. Per was a partner at Swedish indie developer Monsterland which released Rock Manager in fourteen countries 2001 (perhaps predicting the wave of music games a few years later), before moving on to Nordic publisher PAN Vision where he was the head of publishing. Since 2005, Per has been involved in the game industry’s trade bodies as the managing director of Spelplan – Association of Swedish Game Developers and the spokesperson for the industry-wide Dataspelsbranschen (Swedish Games Industry) body. 2007-09 Per Strömbäck served as member of the board of ISFE – Interactive Software Federation Europe. Per Strömbäck worked as program manager for the 2006 Nordic Game Conference and has been involved in numerous trade missions to international conferences. Since 2015, Per is the chair of the Nordic Game Institute foundation. He lectures frequently at universities and industry events and has written reports on the industry for several Swedish government agencies. Per Strömbäck is the editor of the anthology Gratis? Beyond Money in the Digital Culture Economy (Volante, 2009), co-editor of the anthology The Myth of The Internet (Volante, 2012) and the editor of Brussels-based web magazine and think-tank Netopia – Forum for the Digital Society. He appears regularly on panels, seminars and in the media in Sweden and Brussels. Per was a monthly columnist on games in Sweden’s major games publication Level in 2010-11. Per Strömbäck was a board member of the Swedish Film Institute and a member of the advisory board for the Swedish National Archives 2010-2016. He has also served on the board of the Swedish Advertising Ombudsman and currently on the board of a local opera in Stockholm; Folkoperan. Per’s book The Dream of Alexandria (Timbro 2013) took a closer look at the mixed blessing of unlimited distribution. His most recent book 21 Digital Myths – Reality Distortion Antidote (8tto 2016) is his debut as an author in English. It was translated to Spanish in 2017. Per has given speeches in the French Senate, British House of Commons, Spanish Congress, Sweden’s Riksdag, European Commission, European Parliament and numerous industry events. Before he joined the games industry, Per worked in the music industry in the 1990s with labels, tours, festivals and briefly as an artist manager. Per Strömbäck divides his time between Stockholm and Brussels. He has reached level 214 on Candy Crush Saga.

Hiroyuki Tachimoto, a TV broadcasting industry veteran, is the president of Fujipacific Music Inc., one of the top independent music publishers in Japan. Gaining proficiency in the music business through production of music videos, live recorded music, and music programs, he joined the company in 2022 and is also serving as Chairman for the Music Publishers Association of Japan as well as Director for the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC).

Iñigo Ugarteburu is a veteran music industry executive with over 20 years of experience navigating the complexities of global rights management and digital transformation. As the CEO of BMAT, he leads the company’s mission to become the music ecosystem’s leading data and processing partner, acting as an Operating System (OS) for the Music Industry, helping distribute 3 billion dollars in royalties every year.

Iñigo’s career is defined by his leadership at the industry’s highest levels. He began his journey at EMI Music Publishing, where he led Global Tracking and Analysis. Following the landmark acquisition of EMI, Iñigo transitioned to Sony Music Publishing, where he led the critical implementation of the Tracking and FP&A infrastructure, reconciling global data at an unprecedented scale.

His expertise in the global rights ecosystem was further solidified during his tenure as Director of International Affairs at ASCAP, which preceded his first chapter at BMAT in 2017 as Chief Strategy Officer. From 2020 to 2023, Iñigo moved to the forefront of the creator economy at Meta, leading Global Music Publishing operations. During this time, he was instrumental in scaling complex licensing and royalty infrastructure to meet the rapid evolution of social platforms and the global explosion of short-form video.

In 2023, Iñigo returned to BMAT to serve as CEO, bringing a rare dual perspective to the role. Alongside his executive career, he remains an active musician and composer for film and television. This unique blend of the analytical rigour required for global tech operations and the creative intuition of a lifelong artist allows him to bridge the gap between technical innovation and the human nature of music.

Sarah Williams is the CEO of IMPEL, a ground-breaking collective of independent music publishers that licenses the digital services. Williams has led IMPEL since 2019, overseeing a period of great growth and development for the organisation. Prior to that, she was an independent music lawyer, specialising particularly in publishing and organisational governance. Over her career, her wide range of interests and focus on the bigger picture have also led her into the fields of politics, conflict resolution and the non-profit sector.