The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of
Freeme Digital and Freeme Music, Michael Ugwu has been renamed to the 2022
Board of Directors of Merlin Network.
Ugwu is among 11 members returning to the
board for another term. This will be his second term on the board representing
Africa after he was first elected as a member in 2020.
Merlin, a Europe-based digital-rights
licensing partner for independent music companies, with a membership of over
20,000 independent record labels and distributors from approximately 62
countries, announced its 2022 board via Variety.
The board is elected from and by Merlin’s
members and includes representatives from twelve different countries across
Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania.
Newly elected to the 2022 board are: Pascal
Bittard, owner, Idol (France); Tom Deakin, head of EMEA, AudioSalad (UK);
Sandra Ortega, director of global partnerships, Altafonte (Mexico); Louis
Posen, president & executive director, Hopeless Records (US); Jason Taylor,
sales and label strategy director, Redeye (US); and Yushi Yamashita, president,
Rights Scale (Japan).
Returning members to Merlin’s board are:
Michael Ugwu, CEO, Freeme Digital (Nigeria); Marie Clausen, head of NA and
global streaming, Ninja Tune (US); Michel Lambot, co-founder, [PIAS] (Belgium);
Chris Maund, COO, Mushroom Labels (Australia); Carlos Mills, founder & CEO,
Mills Records (Brazil).
Others are Martin Mills; founder &
chairman, Beggars Group (UK); Darius Van Arman, co-CEO of Secretly Group (US);
Pieter van Rijn, CEO, FUGA (Netherlands); Horst Weidenmüller, CEO & Owner,
!K7 (Germany); and Justin West, president & CEO, Secret City (Canada).