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VETERAN MUSIC PUBLISHING EXECUTIVE MICHAEL PETERSEN APPOINTED EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, GENERAL MANAGER AND GENERAL COUNSEL - U.S.A.
LOS ANGELES (June 2, 2006) - Publishing industry veteran and attorney Michael Petersen has been appointed Executive Vice President, General Manager and General Counsel - U.S., reporting to Willard Ahdritz, CEO and Founder of Kobalt Music Group.
Petersen comes to Kobalt from his Senior Vice President post at Universal Music Publishing Group, where for eight years he headed the company's business and legal affairs operations for the U.S., Canada and Latin America. Petersen will manage the company's fast expanding U.S. operations based in Los Angeles, where the company will house a full-service Creative/A&R department, Business Affairs, Synch Licensing and other operations.
Commented Ahdritz: "I'm very pleased to welcome Michael Petersen to Kobalt. Michael is one of the best music publishing executives in the industry with an excellent understanding of daily operations. With him on board we take a major step forward in building our U.S. operations and his knowledge will also be a valuable resource for us on a global basis."
Added Petersen: "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with such a progressive and forward thinking company. I firmly believe in the Kobalt philosophy and am confident that Kobalt represents the future of music publishing."
Petersen began his career in 1990 as a music associate at major L.A entertainment firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, where he worked with clients such as Barbra Streisand, Michael Jackson, ATV Music, Paula Abdul, M.C. Hammer, Tracy Chapman, Guns 'N Roses, Metallica, Soundgarden, and Hollywood Records, among others. Petersen subsequently worked stints as Director of Legal Affairs at PolyGram Music Publishing and as a music associate at boutique L.A. firm King, Holmes, Paterno & Berliner, prior to returning in 1996 to PolyGram as VP to head the business and legal affairs department. Shortly after leaving PolyGram in 1998 to establish the business and legal affairs department for MCA Music Publishing, MCA merged with PolyGram to form the Universal Music Publishing Group, one of the largest publishing companies in the world. Petersen played a crucial role during the merger, as well as during UMPG's Rondor Music acquisition in 2000.
During his tenure at UMPG, Petersen was promoted from VP to Senior Vice President of Business Affairs in 2001. He was also involved in the initial signing and/or renegotiation of major artists, songwriters and catalogs such as Shania Twain, Anastacia, Brian McKnight, Rudy Perez, the War catalog, Bloodhound Gang, Blues Traveler, Foo Fighters, Henry Mancini catalog, Godsmack, 3 Doors Down, The Corrs, Beastie Boys, Glen Ballard, Kelly Price, Lamont Dozier, Mary J. Blige, Marcus Miller, Raphael Saadiq, Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers, and Avril Lavigne, among others.
About Kobalt Music Group
With offices in London, New York, Nashville, Los Angeles, Berlin and Stockholm, Kobalt Music Group (Kobalt) is a global, independent music publisher offering administrative and creative services to writers, publishers and other publishing rights holders. As the fastest growing music publisher in the world and a Top 10 UK publisher, Kobalt has become recognized as the new publishing model, fast attracting major writers and artists and publishing companies. Kobalt's unique and modern, centralized royalty collection infrastructure is based on direct relationships with collection societies and a unique proprietary technology which enables clients to receive faster delivery of revenues and information in a transparent and efficient manner.
Kobalt Music Group's clients include: Gwen Stefani, 8 Mile Style, Max Martin, Desmond Child, Richard Ashcroft, Editors, The Hives, Dr. Luke, Nine Inch Nails, Sanctuary Music Publishing, Ric Wake, EverGreen Copyrights, Tony Kanal, UB40, Tears For Fears, Air-Edel Music, Axl Rose, B-Unique Music, Rami, Arnthor Birgisson, Antony Hegarty (of Antony and the Johnsons), Badly Drawn Boy, Cal IV Music, Integrated Copyright Group, Bill Wyman, Wet Wet Wet, Teddy Riley, Denzil Foster, Dennis Matkosky, Ignition Music, Big Life, James Brown and many others.