Tony D. Alexander is co-founder, President and Managing Director of Made In Memphis Entertainment LLC (MIME). MIME is a Black-owned full-service entertainment group comprising MIME Publishing (an independent music publishing company that handles the copyrights of some of the most sought-after young producers in hip-hop and R&B); Heavy Hitters Music (a film, TV, and ad sync company with an all-female creative team and Emmy-winning music catalogue); Beatroot Music (a leading independent music distributor, as well as its subsidiary Beatroot Africa); and 4U Recording (a state-of-the-art recording studio brand with locations in Memphis and Atlanta). MIME is dedicated to developing and empowering diverse talent on both the creative and business sides of the industry. Alexander is a proud member of the Leadership Music Class of 2023, serves on the Boards of the Music Business Association (Music Biz) and the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), and is President of the Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) Atlanta Chapter. He has been featured in publications such as Billboard, Wired, Music Ally, Music Week, Pitchfork, and Memphis Business Journal. He has also been selected as a Billboard Indie Power Player (2021), Worth Magazine Worthy 100 (2022), and Memphis Magazine Power Player (2020-22) among other honours. Alexander is a magna cum laude graduate of Morehouse College. He also holds both Master of Science and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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).

Amos Biegun is a music industry veteran with over 30 years of copyright, licensing and royalties experience, having started his music industry career in 1990 at Carlin Music, as Head of Operations. Prior to its acquisition by Vistex, Biegun was the CEO and co-owner of Counterpoint Systems, which led the way in supplying key software solutions to the music industry. Now, in his position as Global Head of Rights & Royalties at Vistex, he oversees the successful operation of the world’s largest supplier of rights management, licensing and royalty accounting software to the music, film, TV and intellectual property industries.

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.

Director Music Creative & Production – EMEA – at Netflix. Founded 440Hz (music rights management company) & Grande Ourse (film&tv composer agency). 20 years of executive experience in music, film, animation & TV.  Previously created and headed Gaumont Music Department: music publishing, production, supervision, label activities with a strong digital focus, for the Paris & Los Angeles offices. Domains of expertise: music (publishing, sync, creative, a&r, recording), film, TV, animation, management, business development. International scope.

SOCAN CEO Jennifer Brown brings more than two decades of strategic experience in rights management, licensing, and support for songwriters, composers and publishers. Currently Vice-Chair of the CISAC Board of Directors, Brown is a fierce advocate for rightsholders and the role SOCAN plays in ensuring music creators and publishers receive fair compensation for their work.

With nearly 15 years of experience, mainly as a music lawyer, Loredana Cacciotti’s work is nowadays focused on digital licences, both from a commercial and legal stand-point. In her role at Downtown, she oversees the digital strategy of Downtown Music Group, including its subsidiaries such as FUGA, CD Baby, Songtrust, Downtown Music Publishing and Downtown Artists & Labels. She and her team manage licences for over 23 million tracks and 3 million compositions. Her team has closed over 40 licences in 2023 already, with DSPs ensuring that Downtown’s music catalogue is available on all the main streaming, fitness and gaming platforms worldwide.  Prior to joining Downtown, Cacciotti led the Business Affairs & Licensing department of FUGA for more than five years after leaving her role in the legal department of MixRadio. Cacciotti also worked at the BPI, focusing on legal and contractual issues related to the production of the BRIT Awards. Before that, she spent several years at Ministry of Sound, overseeing music-related deals for artists such as London Grammar, DJ Fresh and Example, as well as providing legal support for MOS’s official merchandise, worldwide Ministry of Sound and Hed Kandi events, general media and digital matters.

Teri Carpenter is a music industry veteran. Her executive experience includes a background in performing rights management and overseeing major studio and network television music departments.  Carpenter’s experience in creating, protecting and monetising music copyrights is well known and has earned her the highest level of respect worldwide. Carpenter is currently the President & CEO of Reel Muzik Werks, LLC, which is an innovative full-service independent music publisher specialising in music for Film & TV and international rights management. RMW provides global writer/publisher administration, licensing & clearance and music supervision for all media. Its services include management of performance, mechanical, neighboring and secondary rights. Carpenter is a recent two-term President of the California Copyright Conference and Finance Chair of the Board of Directors of the Copyright Alliance in Washington, DC. Carpenter currently serves as a member of the Independent Publishers Advisory Counsel for the NMPA. She is also the LA Chapter President and former National Chair of the Association of Independent Music Publishers and serves on the Executive Board of the Independent Music Publishers International Forum. Carpenter is a member of the Joint Project Lead at CISAC, which governs all X-Industry music projects. She is also an active member of the Society Publisher Forum, where she lends her experience in many groups including the A/V working groups, as well as serving on the Steering Committee & Working Group for CIS-Net, a FastTrack / CISAC global music database project. Finally, Carpenter is a proud member of the Leadership Music Class of 2022.

Marcelo Castello Branco is CEO of UBC Brasil, the country’s leading collective management organisation. With over 35 years of experience in the music industry, Castello Branco has played a pivotal role in fostering a thriving music industry in Brazil, as well as expanding its reach to South America, Spain, and Portugal. Castello Branc’s career includes serving as President at Universal Music Brasil, Southern Cone, and Iberian Peninsula, as well as at EMI Music Brasil, South and Central America. He has also held the position of Vice-Chairman of the Latin Grammy’s Board. Castello Branco made history by becoming the first Latin executive to be appointed as Chair of the CISAC Board. In this role, he advocates for the rights of creators and strengthens international cooperation in the field of collective management.

Ali Charrier-Rachidi is a seasoned music rights expert with over a decade of experience in music rights. Throughout his career, Charrier-Rachidi has worked extensively with both independent and major publishers, as well as International Copyright Enterprise (ICE) before joining industry leader SACEM where he has served for five years. As Head of Online Partners at the French CMO for two years, Charrier-Rachidi spearheaded the partnerships with SACEM’s online mandates. His primary focus areas include fostering customer and inter-society relations, overseeing operational management, leading technology initiatives, and cultivating collaborations with key industry stakeholders such as CMOs, DSPs, publishers, and members.

Indi Chawla is the Head of International Relations for The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC). Based in London, Chawla is responsible for coordinating with international rightsholders to maximise the collection of mechanical royalties by The MLC on behalf of international CMOs, publishers and songwriters, influencing data quality and developing strategies for data validation and distribution, and helping to identify and address any operational challenges facing international members. Widely respected among the international music publishing community, Chawla has more than 20 years of experience in the music business. She began her music industry career in 1994 as a Royalty Assistant for Polygram Music Publishing and, from then on, progressed in the ranks to senior management positions for both major and independent publishers, covering all aspects of rights administration. Most recently, Chawla consulted for the world’s first integrated licensing and processing hub ICE, on the company’s new copyright platform, Cube. Chawla advised on the management of conflicting work claims from creation to resolution and worked with stakeholders to align on a set of common policies and workflows. Chawla earned an M.A. in Economics from Manchester University, a B.A. (Hons) in Economics and History from University of the West of England and a Diploma in Quantitative Economic Methods from London School of Economics. She is passionate about music and travel, and is a keen cyclist.

Cameron Chell is an experienced technology entrepreneur and product developer. Over the past two and a half decades, he has been a part of founding and helping lead product and executive teams of several technology companies with public company exits. Chell is Chairman and co-founder of MetaWorks, an award-winning Web3 company that owns and operates platforms in the entertainment and technology space. Beyond entrepreneurial pursuits, Cameron is known for his strategic insights and his ability to inspire and motivate teams. He is a sought-after speaker and thought leader, sharing his expertise and vision on various platforms, including industry conferences and media outlets.

Alisa Coleman is the Chief Operating Officer of ABKCO Music & Records, Inc., overseeing day-to-day operations, as well as business development and global licensing of the music publishing, record, and film catalogs for one of the foremost independent entertainment companies in the world. A strong advocate for indie companies, Coleman is the first woman executive appointed to influential positions on both sides of the music business (the music publishing and the recording industry), holding seats on the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) and Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) Boards. ABKCO’s catalog includes compositions, recordings, and films by Sam Cooke, The Rolling Stones, Bobby Womack, Eric Burdon, The Animals, Herman’s Hermits, Marianne Faithfull, Pete Townshend, Ray Davies, and The Kinks; the Cameo Parkway master recordings; and the works of cult director Alejandro Jodorowsky, as well as upcoming songwriters and producers. In 2019, Coleman was unanimously elected and appointed by the Copyright Office as the first Chair of the MLC, leading the music publishing and songwriting community in the unprecedented creation of a mechanical licensing collective which manages and distributes audio mechanical royalties to songwriters and music publishers worldwide for US exploitation. In 2019, Billboard named Coleman as part of its Top Indie Players, Top Digital Players and Top Women In Music lists. In 2020, she was named on Billboard’s Power List, and again on its Top Indie Player List and Top Women In Music List. In 2023, she was once again named on Billboard’s Top Women In Music List. She is currently the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) as well as being on the Board of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the ASCAP Board of Review. She is a member of NARAS, AIGA, NYWIFT, CMA, ACM, CSUSA, the National Arts Club, and a lifetime member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Ed Bennett-Coles is an experienced playwright and screenwriter. He was a member of the Royal Court Young Writers Programme in London before becoming a co-founder and core member of Shotgun Theatre Company – in residence – with Tom Hardy and Robert Delamere. Shortly after, Bennett-Coles was hired by Pete Townsend to conceive and collaborate on a story for a rock opera that took him to Los Angeles, where he spent the next decade writing for film and television with some of the industry’s leading talent. 

Sue Crawshaw, founder and owner of Pick And Mix Music has worked across all aspects of the music industry over three decades. She started her career in music publishing with spells at MCA, Chrysalis, Asongs and Albert’s Publishing, in addition to seven years at performing rights organisation BMI in London. She then moved into sync placement and music supervision establishing Pick And Mix Music some 20 years ago. Having lived and worked in Los Angeles for seven years, she returned to the UK full time in 2019. Crawshaw has worked as a music supervisor on various successful BAFTA and Emmy Award winning TV productions including The Crown Seasons 1 & 2 (Netflix). Her most recent work includes Still Up (Apple TV), Who Is Erin Carter (Netflix), Three Pines (Amazon), Karen Pirie (ITV), The Diplomat, and Six Four. Past credits include Chloe (Amazon), Behind Her Eyes (Netflix), Quiz (ITV), Without Sin (ITV), Strike Back Seasons 6, 7 and 8 (HBO/Cinemax), Oasis (Amazon pilot), Origin (YouTube Red), and The Replacement (BBC). Past Credits include the BAFTA nominated Son Of Rambow (Paramount), He Kills Coppers (BBC), Raw (RTE) and Love Hate (RTE). 

Andrea Czapary Martin is the CEO of PRS for Music – a world-leading collective management organisation representing the rights of over 165,000 songwriters, composers, and music publishers globally. Pioneering in its approach to licensing new tech services, transforming how rights are managed, and how data is processed, PRS has achieved record-breaking royalty revenues for its members year-on-year.   Martin is also a Board Member of ICE, the global music service that provides leading technology, processing and licensing solutions in over 150 territories, and supports more than 330,000 rights-holders.  Throughout her career, Martin has led a diverse range of data-focused and big subscription-based organisations, in multi-brand media and entertainment, life sciences, security, distribution services, and fintech across Canada, Latin America, Asia Pacific and the UK. In 2023, Martin was inducted onto Billboard’s Women In Music Top Executives, a list of high-achieving women from every sector of the global music industry.

Vincent Degiorgio is CEO of Cymba Music Publishing and a songwriter, having celebrated global success with Holland’s Caro Emerald and Canada’s Love Inc., not to mention dozens of cuts in Japan over the past 20 years. An industry veteran, his A&R signings include NSYNC during his tenure at RCA Records. He is currently on the Board of Music Publishers Canada as treasurer, following a six year term as Chair. Degiorgio is also on the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Board and its anglophone induction committee.

Ole Dreyer has worked in the Danish music business since the early 1980’s. He has worked as a personal manager, a booking agent, and a publisher, as well as running several labels, and building and running a music club. He worked for EMI MP for 12 years and, since 2011, has been a partner at his own label and publishing company Nordic Music NMS. Dreyer has been a Board Member of MPA DK since 2005, and Chairperson since 2013. He has represented music publishers on Koda’s Board since 2008. As a music publisher, he specialises in sync and talent development.

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.

Matteo Fedeli was appointed as SIAE’s CEO in January 2023. He graduated with honours in management engineering and declares himself a 360 tech enthusiast and an ambassador of customers’ needs. He strongly believes that success comes through a customer-centric approach supported by a quantitative scientific method. Fedeli joined SIAE in 2014, as Director of the organisation’s music division, immediately contributing to the digital transformation of the Society within a constantly evolving market. Prior to that, he gained a strong management consulting expertise at Bain&Company, focusing on corporate transformation, post-merger integration and reorganisation strategies.

Elisa Fermont-Amouyal is the founder and CEO of Talit MuZic Publishing Ltd located in Israel. She is a lawyer specialising in IP Law, has worked for over 20 years in the music publishing business, and represents prestigious publishers from all over the world in Israel. Born in Paris, France, Fermont-Amouyal pursued her academic endeavours in England, specialising in law. Over the course of her career, she has gained valuable experience through her work in Israel and Eastern European countries. Known for her adaptability and proactive attitude, she eagerly embraces change and approaches new challenges with enthusiasm. With a mindset toward the future, she is driven to explore AI challenges on her professional journey. She is on the Board of Directors of IMPF, and chairs the AI Working Group, set up in April 2023.

Victor Finn is the Chief Executive Officer of the Irish Music Rights Organisation and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Management Accountants. Finn has a wealth of experience in the music industry as the former Managing Director of MCPS (Ireland), the Irish mechanical rights society. A strong advocate for music creators, he plays a lead role in championing fair and balanced improvements to copyright law in the digital environment at home and in Europe. Finn is a Board member at GESAC and on the Council of the IBEC Audio Visual Federation in Ireland. Under his direction, IMRO continues to develop its licensing and revenue generation activities. Since joining IMRO, Finn has driven its strategic growth, delivering innovative services to its growing list of global members.

Cliff Fluet has over 25 years’ experience operating at the cutting edge of digital media and advises companies globally on their legal and commercial strategies. After a decade in-house in media and broadcast, he founded Lewis Silkin’s Media & Entertainment Group. He specialises in digital media, brand entertainment, technology, and innovation. Fluet has advised many of the leading players in digital, social and brand entertainment. He is recognised as a thought leader on new business models for media, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence, distributed ledger technologies and immersive entertainment and where they converge. Fluet is Managing Director at Eleven, offering strategic and commercial advisory services to companies in the realm of digital media, advising many corporations on their response to artificial intelligence over the last decade. He has worked with some of the UK’s most innovative creative AI companies including Jukedeck, AI Music, Rotor, MyPart, Humtap, C-Works, DAACI and many others. He is Chair of The Ivors Academy Trust, the charity for songwriters and creators, and Deputy Chair of Help Musicians, the leading UK music industry charity.

Ibán García del Blanco is a lawyer majored in cultural management. Before his election as a Member of the European Parliament, he was the Executive President of Acción Cultural Española (AC/E). At the EP, García del Blanco has played an instrumental role defining cultural policies and AI.  He is the S&D group coordinator on the Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) currently working on the Data Act, the AI Act and on an initiative report on virtual worlds. In the Culture Committee (CULT), he is now the EP rapporteur on a report entitled “cultural diversity and the conditions of authors in the European music streaming market”. He is also co-chair S&D on the Cultural and Creators Friendship Group in the European Parliament.

María González is co-managing partner of CMS Albiñana & Suárez de Lezo and heads up the Industrial/Intellectual Property & Digital Business department. With over two decades of experience, she has provided guidance to both national and international clients on intellectual property, industrial property, copyright and technology, particularly in litigation and dispute resolution. Her particular focus lies in big data, AI, digital business, media and content, as well as the life sciences and healthcare sectors. Gonzalez Gordon is Co-Head of the global Digital Business subgroup of CMS and an active member of ITechLaw. She is a member of the Board of the AIPPI’s Spanish group (with particular focus on copyright); and a selected member of INTA’s European Global Advisory Council. She holds a number of additional roles at INTA, including being an INTA representative before the EUIPO Observatory.

Davide Grosso is a music rights activist with an academic background in ethnomusicology. He has carried out extensive field research in Indonesia about music and society, as well as having worked in journalism and media.  He joined the International Music Council in 2013, where he is in charge of project management and communication. Among other assignments, he is the Secretary of the International Rostrum of Composers and curates the Music World News. From 2020 to 2022, he chaired the NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee, representing a network of more than 400 NGOs in official partnership with UNESCO.  Outside the office, Grosso composes electronic music and writes about music and politics for various magazines and blogs.

Jon Hall has 10 years experience in the commercial licensing of music publishing rights on an international basis. He is currently Head of Licensing at ICE Services where he has negotiated and managed licences with online music services who offer downloads, music streaming, virtual reality experiences, short-form music clips and more.

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.

Michael Hatjoullis is Head of Operations at IMPEL. He spent 15 years working in independent music publishing, first as General Manager at Paul Rodriguez Music and later as Head of Publishing at Manners McDade, where he was also an IMPEL Board member. He has managed commercially released music alongside commissioned works for film, television, and advertising, directly administering rights in multiple territories. His range of experience covers copyright, royalties, and licensing, in addition to neighbouring rights and label operations.

Olga Heijns is the founder of Next Era Publishing, representing writers behind hits by Chris Brown, DjagaDjaga Jay-Z, Biggie, Kelly Clarkson and P!ink, as well as emerging writers such as Danny Dubb, Nick Vall and Amy Miu. Heijns founded Mixmash Records together with Laidback Luke and also runs Unmanageable Artists – known for breaking and building artists such as Laidback Luke, Roger Sanchez and Blasterjaxx over the years.

Constance Herreman Follain is CISAC’s Director of Legal and Policy Department, heading the organisation’s global policy and legal activities, focusing on promoting pro-creator legislation and collective management, awareness campaigns, fostering relations with international institutions, and providing legal services to members. She joined CISAC in 2015 and specialises in intellectual property and new technologies. Over the past 10 years, she has worked for various organisations across the cultural industries. After working at law firms in IP/IT in Paris, she joined SACEM as Legal and Business Affairs for the Digital Licensing Department, before joining the Directorate for Media and Cultural Industries at the French Ministry for Culture and Communication. Prior to her current role at CISAC, she was Deputy Director of the Legal and Policy Department.

Eva Karman Reinhold is the Chairman of SOM, Sweden’s national association of independents, which represents over 300 companies. She is also an IMPALA Board member and Chair of the organisation’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee. Karman Reinhold is a music lawyer (Master of Law, LLM.) who founded Karman Innovative Consulting and Smilodon (a music publisher and record label) in 2004. She began her music industry career at STIM, before working at independent companies Gazell and MNW. Being a former music student, she has picked up writing and performing again as the creative leader in her band, MahRoot.

Florian Koempel is a qualified German lawyer. He obtained a law degree from the University of Regensburg in Bavaria, passed the bar exam in Munich in 1998, and has worked for the Regional Court and in private practice. He holds an LLM in intellectual property from Queen Mary and Westfield, and a Competition Law Diploma from Kings College. He advises a variety of clients in the creative sector, including UK Music, the Music Publishers Association and the British Copyright Council. He also teaches post-graduate courses on international copyright law and music industry contracts, amongst others, at Queen Mary, University of London.

As Reservoir’s President and Chief Operating Officer, Rell Lafargue oversees all aspects of the company’s day-to-day operations in New York, Los Angeles, Nashville, London, Toronto, and Abu Dhabi. When Lafargue joined Reservoir at its inception, the company represented four songwriters and 2,000 songs. Building on over 20 years of industry experience, Lafargue built the company’s infrastructure, assembled its Creative and Synch teams, established its administration systems, and developed the international network that oversees Reservoir’s copyrights to this day. Under Lafargue’s direction, Reservoir has grown to represent over 140,000 compositions and 36,000 master recordings worldwide. Lafargue continues to spearhead Reservoir’s international and domestic expansion efforts, having overseen the acquisitions and integrations of the historic Shapiro Bernstein catalogue, TVT Music Publishing catalogue, First State Media Group catalogue, UK publishers Reverb Music and P&P Songs, and iconic record labels Chrysalis Records, Tommy Boy Records, and Philly Groove Records. Additionally, Lafargue was instrumental in signing Nate “Danja” Hills, one of the company’s first high-profile writer-producers, to the Reservoir roster. Prior to his time at Reservoir, Lafargue was Vice President at TVT Records and TVT Music Publishing, where he worked with artists including Nine Inch Nails, Lil Jon, Snoop Dogg, Scott Storch, and Pitbull. Lafargue serves on the Board of the Mechanical Licensing Collective, Association of Independent Music Publishers—NY Chapter, and Music Publishers Canada, working to promote the interests of music publishers and their songwriting partners. Beyond his career in music publishing, Lafargue is an accomplished producer, performer, arranger, software consultant, and university lecturer. He holds a master’s degree in Music Business and Entertainment Industries from the University of Miami. 

Emmanuel Legrand is a Washington, DC-based journalist and consultant, specialising in the entertainment business and cultural trends. He is currently the editor of the Creative Industries News platform and President of Legrand Network, a media consultancy company.

Cecilia Leon 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.

Odette Lindsay is head of the copyright department at Third Side Music, a fully independent publisher based in Montreal and Los Angeles. Lindsay built and developed the department as the company grew to administer more than 70,000 copyrights. She now leads the copyright team in offering modern and flexible administration of worldwide rights to artists and publishers, as well as oversees metadata management and delivery in support of the sync licensing team.

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 the former Head of Business & Songwriter Relations for song data management platform Auddly/Sessions, backed by hitmakers Max Martin and Abba’s Björn Ulvaeus. 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, UMPG. Since then, she’s been working with recording artists on both sides of the Atlantic, including Roger Sanchez, Big Daddy Wilson and the Dark Tenor, collaborating with award-winning writers including Jörgen Elofsson (Kelly Clarkson, Britney Spears), Patrik Berger (Icona Pop, Robyn) and Steve McEwan (Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Eminem). In 2016, her song A Better Man, co-written by Andrew Fromm (Backstreet Boys, Mark Anthony) and Peter Kvint (A-ha, Andreas Johnson) made the UK Eurovision finals. Recent releases include Unwant You and Locked In Your Love by Menrva, Glass Keys and Dani Senior.

Margaret McGuffin is the CEO of Music Publishers Canada. Her career has focused on research and policy development related to the creative industries, as well as strategic change management. She has worked with a large number of music industry trade and collective management organisations, and currently sits on the Board of Work In Culture (as Past Chair) and on the Advisory Committee at MusiCounts. McGuffin is always happy to talk about copyright or how music publishers are leading the way in making sure Canadian songs are heard around the world. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Western University, and an MBA in Arts, Media and Entertainment Management from the Schulich School of Business.

Mary Jo Mennella is the CEO of Music Asset Management, Inc., a leading independent music publishing and consulting company she founded in 2006. Prior to launching Music Asset Management, Mennella was the Senior Vice President/GM of Music Publishing at Fox Filmed Entertainment where her team managed the publishing and master recording catalogues for 20th Century Fox and its affiliated production units. Before joining Fox, Mennella was a key executive at Saban Entertainment and at ASCAP, where she began her career in the entertainment business. An accomplished musician, an advocate for creators’ rights, and a champion of songwriters, Mennella serves on the Board of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, IMPEL, and IMPF, as well as being a past President of the AIMP.  Among her many philanthropic industry associations, she is a former Chair of the Music & Entertainment Industry for City of Hope and a past Board member of the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation.

Jennifer Mitchell co-founded Casablanca Media Publishing in 2001 and helped build it into a leading independent Canadian music publisher. She went on to found Red Brick Songs, which represents a range of prestigious songwriters and publishers in Canada including ABKCO, Because Music, Budde Music and the estate of John Lennon to name a few. Red Brick also represents prominent songwriters and publishers outside of Canada, including Fairwood Music, Little Kim (Notorious Kim Publishing), the Lomax Estate, Pennies From Heaven, and Origin Music; as well as the Modern Works Music Publishing catalogues, which include works by renowned songwriters/artists Bootsy Collins, Toni Braxton, Alison Krauss, Ani Difranco and others. Red Brick has also built its own roster of 50+ songwriters.  Mitchell is Co-Chair of the Board of Music Publishers Canada and Vice Chair of the Board of SOCAN, as well as sitting on the Board of the IMPF. She is a former Board Director of CMRRA and currently a member of several industry organisations.

Arriën Molema has been awarded Platinum and Gold records with his band Room Eleven, with which he toured extensively in the Netherlands, Canada, Japan, South-Africa, Germany and Belgium. He is currently active as a songwriter and producer, with successful releases, syncs and TV compositions. Since 2012, he has also been an active advocate for artists and creators. He co-founded and chairs BAM! Popauteurs (the association for pop musicians and songwriters in the Netherlands); was vice-chair of Dutch collecting society Buma/Stemra’s supervisory board until recently; and is vice-president of CIAM (International Council of Music Creators). He currently studies intellectual property law, and is interested in technological developments including artificial intelligence and blockchain.

(photographer: Eyas Matouk)

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.

Molly Neuman is Chief Marketing Officer of Downtown Music Holdings, the world’s leading music services provider. As CMO, Neuman leads brand alignment and marketing efforts for DMH and its subsidiary companies. Neuman was previously President of Songtrust, which grew under her leadership to manage more than 3 million copyrights for more than 350,000 writers in 145 countries, as well as for tens of thousands of business clients. Across a 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 label relations at Rhapsody and eMusic, as well as label and artist management. She currently serves on the Advisory Boards of the Music Business Association, A2IM and Women in Music, and has previously served on the Boards of SoundExchange and A2IM. Neuman was recognised by Billboard in its 2018 Digital Power Players List, as well as in its Women in Music Lists for 2019, 2020, and 2021. Her musical career began as the drummer in Bratmobile, a punk band who were in the first wave of the riot grrrl movement.

Will Page is the author of the critically acclaimed book Tarzan Economics, which has been translated into five languages and published in paperback under the title Pivot. As the former Chief Economist of Spotify and PRS for Music, Page pioneered Rockonomics. At PRS, he published work on Radiohead’s ‘In Rainbows’ and saved BBC 6Music. At Spotify, he uncovered the anatomy of a hit and articulated the global value of music copyright. A passionate communicator, Page is a regular contributor to the BBC, Financial Times and The Economist. He is a fellow at the London School of Economics, Edinburgh Futures Institute and the Royal Society of the Arts.

Cristina Perpiñá-Robert has been the chief executive officer of the Sociedad General de Autores y Editores (SGAE) since 2023. Her priorities are to achieve better remuneration at lower cost for its members, as well as operational excellence, and to situate SGAE among the leading societies in a very competitive market. SGAEs revenues exceeded €186 million in the first half of 2023. This represents an increase of 11.2% compared to the same period last year (€167.9
million). SGAE distributed a total €183.5 million in royalties to its members between January and June this year, 18% more than during the same period in 2022 (€154.8 million). Ms Perpiñá-Robert has more than 25 years of experience in copyright and collective management. She 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. Ms Perpiñá-Robert has also authored various publications on copyright and intellectual property.

Cécile Rap-Veber holds a master’s degree in contract law and private international law and a certificate of aptitude for the legal profession (Capa) from the Paris Bar. A lawyer at the Paris Court of Appeals, she joined Universal Music France in 2000, where she was Director of Legal & Business Affairs, then Director of Universal Music Consulting & Content (UMCC) until 2013. She joined Sacem in 2013 as Director of Licensing and a member of the Executive Committee. In 2016, her responsibilities were extended to International, in 2019 to Operations and in 2020 to Development. In these various roles, she was in charge of negotiation and collections relating to media, phonographic and videographic formats, digital exploitation, private copying and international. She oversaw the management of Sacem’s repertoire and the distribution of the royalties collected for the exploitation of works in Sacem’s repertoire in France and abroad. She was also responsible for the development and management of online mandates entrusted to Sacem by British and American publishers — including UMPG, Wixen, Warner Chappell, IMPEL, and Wise Music — and initiated and supervised the deployment of the global digital data processing and BI platform known as URights. She was appointed as CEO of Sacem in 2021. Rap-Veber is also CEO of the Society for the Administration of Mechanical Reproduction Rights (SDRM). She is Vice-President of the Board of Directors of Copie France and a member of the board of Directors of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC), and of the Centre national de la musique (CNM).

Markus Schwarzer is an entrepreneur at the intersection of AI and music, and one of the leading voices in the field of AI music recommendation. With over 10 years of experience in music emotion research and his company Cyanite, he aims to enable music companies to fully monetise all of their music assets. With a background in business administration and the independent music industry, Schwarzer has published several articles on innovation and business modelling in prestigious publications.

Paul Shaver is a music industry professional with over 25 years of experience. As President of CMRRA and SX Works, Shaver leads both organisations to ensure that music publishers and self-published songwriters have access to reliable licensing and administration data, securing accurate and fair compensation for the use of musical works across the industry. CMRRA and SX Works’ integrated systems leverage an extensive 48-year musical works database, along with SoundExchange’s 20-year authoritative ISRC and sound recording data, to provide administration solutions. These solutions enable organisations that own, represent, and/or engage with music to effectively manage their repertoire across the music ecosystem. Shaver’s career includes senior roles at Nielsen Entertainment Canada, Universal Music Group, EMI Music, and Virgin Records. Additionally, Shaver served as Treasurer on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Country Music Association.

Olga Sismanidi is a senior expert on EU funding in the context of the Creative Europe programme, where she manages the development and implementation of a multi-disciplinary portfolio in the fields of music, digital arts, innovation, digitalisation and cross-sectorial approaches to the culture media. At the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), she currently steers eleven European Networks representing the music industry and performing arts. Previously, she led the ‘Access to Finance’ action under the EU Media Programme, and several works on performance management and the European Platforms action of Creative Europe. She has held multiple roles on other EU funding programmes for innovation – research, entrepreneurship and technology after her time in the private communications industries, the IFPI and the BBC World Service.

Alex Tarrand is the COO and co-founder of STYNGR, and a veteran video game technologist. Having built and led teams across Disney, EA, Microsoft, and the NFL, Tarrand has a passion for gaming and has launched multiple gaming focused companies. STYNGR is the only major and indie label backed platform that allows gaming platforms to seamlessly integrate and monetise music through a range of products. Recently, STYNGR launched the world’s first music and gaming focused grant program, which pairs artists and game companies, creating groundbreaking experiences and in-game exclusives.

Sarah Williams is the CEO of IMPEL, a collective of independent music publishers who license digital services. She is also an independent music lawyer. Over the course of her career, a 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.