HONG KONG (CelebrityAccess) — Chris Gobalakrishna and Jonathan Serbin have been tapped to serve as the new Co-Presidents of Warner Music Asia.
Both executives will be based in Warner Music’s Hong Kong offices and will report to Simon Robson, President, International, Recorded Music, Warner Music Group.
With Asia representing an increasingly important set of markets for recorded music, with the overall industry growing by 9.5 per cent in 2020 to US$5.1b, and by 29.9 per cent excluding the more established market in Japan, according tot the IFPI.
Consequently, WMG has focused on growth in the region, acquiring the catalogues of Gold Typhoon (2014) and ISS (2016); opening for business in Vietnam (2020); launching new labels, such as Japan’s +809 (2019) and Whet Records (2021); introducing ADA, its independent artist and label services arm (2020); and expanding its domestic rosters in key markets such as Japan and Korea.
“I’m honored to be working with Jonathan to lead our Asian operations. Asia is such a dynamic region, with dramatic growth prospects, which is also driving the latest tech developments in music streaming and the wider ecosystem. We need to continue to innovate to ensure that Warner Music is the first choice for artists with global aspirations. We’re constantly looking to better monetize the huge consumption of music in all its forms across the region to the benefit our artists,” said Chris Gobalakrishna.
“Chris and I are determined to give a launch pad to all the amazing artists emerging from all corners of Asia, so they can take their rightful place on the global stage. From hip-hop to dance, rock to pop, Asian artists are redefining genres and connecting with audiences like never before. The wider world is waking up to the huge level of talent in this region and the next few years will see Asian artists becoming increasingly influential and successful on the world stage. We want Warner Music to be leading this revolution,” added Jonathan Serbin.
Gobalakrishna joined Warner Music Asia in 2020 as SVP, Finance and Operations. Before joining Warner, he held roles in the senior management teams of both BMG and Sony, before he signed on as CFO, Digital, Enterprises, Research, Marketing, Events and Social Media for Univision Communications in 2012.
Serbin also joined Warner Music Asia in 2020, becoming CEO of Greater China and Head of Strategic Investment. He began his career as a corporate music attorney in New York before moving into investment banking with a focus on media and entertainment mergers and acquisitions.
He moved to mainland China in 2002 and held a number of senior roles at companies specializing in the digital distribution of music and other content, before joining Billboard in 2014.
