On The Move: PRS for Music Names a New CEO, Sony Music Publishing Elevates Ari Gelaw to SVP

Each week, NIF & ROSTR tracks all the industry moves you need to know about. Promotions, hirings, farewells — have one you want to share? Click here.

Ben McOwen Wilson has been named CEO of PRS for Music, succeeding Andrea Czapary Martin. Wilson comes from YouTube and Google Play, where he led operations across EMEA, and earlier in his career helped launch UEFA's digital platforms.

Sony Music Publishing has promoted Ari Gelaw to Senior Vice President of Creative A&R, where she'll lead the publisher's US hip-hop and R&B team out of Los Angeles. Gelaw joined SMP in 2022 and has since signed BigXthaPlug, Victoria Monét, Monaleo, FLO, and Samara Cyn, among others. She reports to President of US A&R Katie Welle.

Scott Borchetta's Borchetta Entertainment Group has named Kevin Spellman and Henley Halem as Co-Vice Presidents of its management division, launched earlier this year. Spellman spent 17 years at Vector Management, most recently heading the Nashville office, with credits including Cheap Trick, Emmylou Harris, and Alison Krauss. Halem has guided the careers of Kid Cudi, Yung Gravy, and Jurassic 5, among others.

Elsewhere in the industry…

• Kristian Downs has been elevated to Executive Director of Platform Operations at Secretly Distribution, stepping up after six years at the company to take a broader strategic role across its tech infrastructure and platform development. He previously held senior positions at AWAL/Kobalt and Beggars Group.

• Tseyin Foo joins Universal Music Group as President, Global Supply Chain, reporting to COO Boyd Muir. She comes from Skechers, with earlier leadership experience at Nike, bringing a consumer goods supply chain background to one of the music industry's largest operations.

• Timo Hoffmann joins Frontiers Label Group as Head of A&R, Germany, tasked with expanding the Italy-based rock and metal company's footprint in the region. He spent two decades at AFM Records and Atomic Fire Records/Reigning Phoenix Music across PR, catalog, and product management.

• Manfred Seipt joins Vienna-based boutique agency Georg Leitner Productions (GLP) to head its UK operations out of London. A veteran of the European and Middle Eastern live business, he has worked with artists including Sting, Robert Plant, and Anna Netrebko across his three-decade career. GLP's roster includes Kool & The Gang, Foreigner, and Earth Wind & Fire Experience.

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