2009 AustralAsian Music Business Speaker Profile
Michael Smellie
Former Global COO for Sony/BMG, Asia Pacific head of BMG, MD of Polygram and rooArt in Australia
As an Australian, with a career in the music business spanning over 25 years and across 5 continents, Michael has a unique view on the today’s global business.
Starting his career as Finance Director with Chappell Music Publishing in Sydney in 1980 he soon moved to PolyGram (now part of Universal) and held senior Finance positions in Australia, Brazil and the UK before returning to Sydney as Group MD in 1987. He held this position until 1991.
After then serving briefly as CEO of the MMA Group he was appointed as MD for BMG in Australasia in 1993 and soon after moved to Hong Kong as Head of the Asia/Pacific Region for BMG. In 2001 he was appointed as COO for BMG worldwide and moved to New York. In this role he directed the company through some turbulent years and was an integral part of negotiating and implementing the merger with Sony Music. He was appointed as COO of the newly formed Sony BMG in 2004 and left at the end of 2005 to return to Australia to spend more time with his family.
Michael still maintained a keen interest in the media business in taking on the new role as President of Media Development , Asia Pacific for German media giant Bertelsmann until the end of 2008.
He is also an investor, advisor and Board member to a number of “start ups” in Australia and the US.
He has however not lost sight of life’s priorities as all of this must allow him to indulge his passion for sport through regular games golf and sailing and as a Board member of Athletics Australia.
Participating in the following panel(s):
Thursday, August 20
10:50am-12:30pm
Beyond Downloading —The True Futures of Music