RIANZ chief moves on

RIANZ chief moves on

Recording Industry Association CEO Campbell Smith has decided to step down from the role so he can devote more time to his artist management and concert promotion businesses.

Smith accepted an invitation to lead the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) in 2005. In the six years as its CEO, he has overseen a period of great change in the local music industry.

“My goals five years ago were to improve RIANZ’s performance and service to its members and to protect and enhance the rights and interests of record labels and recording artists,” he says.

“And with huge technological change in the industry, I have been keen to ensure copyright law is in tune with the times to properly protect the rights of copyright owners.

“I also wanted to help make the New Zealand Music Awards a world class event and to grow the involvement of fans in the annual celebration of New Zealand music. These things done, it’s time to move on and hand over to a fresh conductor.”

Smith says he now needs to devote more time to his concert and festival promoting activities and his artist management business, especially internationally as he has “big work to do this year with Brooke Fraser and the Naked and Famous”.

“At heart, I am an artist manager,” he says.

RIANZ President Adam Holt says in the five years Smith has been at the helm, he has achieved an enormous amount for RIANZ and its members.

“RIANZ needed re-invention to reflect the massive transformation of our industry and Campbell has been, without question, the perfect man for the job. Under his leadership RIANZ has become an organisation with a clear focus and one that single-mindedly advocates and promotes the rights of all its member labels and the tens of thousands of artists it represents.

“Campbell’s unique skills and experience combined with his passion for music, artists, labels and our industry have been fundamental to re-defining RIANZ and the New Zealand music industry in the past few years,” Holt says.

“Campbell can be especially proud of the leadership role he has taken in developing the New Zealand Music Awards into the spectacular event it is today.

“His work with government and the telecommunications industry will have long term cultural and economic benefits for New Zealand. He has been instrumental in developing guidelines and protocols designed to educate New Zealand consumers as to the value of music and to protect the rights and livelihoods of recording artists and labels.

“On behalf of the RIANZ Board and RIANZ's member labels and artists, I want to sincerely thank Campbell for his efforts and congratulate him on his many achievements. We’re going to miss him but I’m sure his artists will be glad to have him back! We wish them and Campbell the best for the coming year and beyond.”

Adam Holt says Smith leaves RIANZ in the middle of March and a new chief executive for RIANZ is to be announced in the coming weeks.

ENDS

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