The music industry is coming to grips today with the news that the chairman & CEO, Australia & New Zealand for Sony Music, Denis Handlin, has departed the company.
The Industry Observer this morning reported on an internal Sony Music email from group chairman Rob Stringer, who said he would be making further announcements in terms of the new direction of our business in both Australia and New Zealand.
The internal email said: “My team and I will be speaking further to your team leaders about this process throughout the week, but at this point I wanted to let everyone know this news at the same time.”
The departure of Handlin from Sony Music comes after reports in The Sydney Morning Herald from Nathanael Cooper over the past couple of months. Back in April Cooper reported on a Sony Music executive sacked after an investigation into bullying and harassment.
On the weekend, Cooper reported Sony Music’s corporate headquarters in New York had expanded its investigation into the workplace culture at the recording label’s Australian office and engaged an external counsel.
Denis Handlin started with the Australian Record Company (now Sony Music) in May 1970 in the Distribution Division in Brisbane, making him the longest-serving global Sony Music employee. In 1976 he moved to Sony Music’s head office in Sydney and held a number of senior positions including national promotions manager, director of marketing and general manager, marketing and sales.
Handlin was appointed managing director and chief executive officer of the Australian company in 1984. In February 1996, he was made chairman, Sony Music Entertainment Australia Limited and appointed to the international committee responsible for the company’s global strategy. In 2002, he was appointed to chair the Sony Music International Strategy committee which identified new business and product directions.
Sony Music had to postpone a celebration of his half century with the company twice because of Covid over the past 15 months.
See also: Sony Music global chief celebrates another milestone for Denis Handlin