BEJING (CelebrityAccess) – Andy Ma has been appointed CEO, Warner Music China and EVP, Commercial and Business Development, Greater China.
Andy was previously Warner Music’s Chief Commercial Officer for Greater China and SVP, Commercial and Business Development, Greater China and South East Asia. In his new role, he will report to Simon Robson, President, Warner Music Asia, and will spearhead Warner Music’s efforts to become the leading label in China.
Commenting on the promotion, Robson said: “Andy’s an incredible executive who has been instrumental in helping build the now thriving digital music market in China. It’s impossible to underestimate the importance of China to the future of our company and the wider music business. Andy is well placed to drive our business there forward, making us the leading label in the country and ensuring our artists benefit from this market’s exponential growth.”
Ma added: “I’m hugely excited to be taking up this position at a key stage in the development of the music market in China. We’re working with a range of partners to help take our artists’ music to hundreds of millions of new fans. I think China’s got the potential to be a top-five market within a few years and we’re set to be its leading label – watch this space!”
Ma joined WMG in 2011 as Vice President for New Media for Warner Music Greater China and South East Asia, before becoming Senior Vice President, Commercial & Business Development, Greater China and South East Asia in 2015.
In that role, he helped develop WMG’s strategic partnership with Chinese technology giant Tencent, which is licensed to distribute the company’s repertoire in mainland China, as well as making it available on its own platforms, such as QQ Music. He also helped build corporate relationships with China Mobile and other Chinese technology companies, as well as video and handset device suppliers. Outside of China, Ma has been at the heart of WMG’s licensing deals with other major Asian digital music services, including Taiwanese-based KKBOX and South Korea’s Melon.
