EMI Music appoints former Coke exec McDonnell

Nikki Sandison 17-Nov-08

LONDON - EMI Music has appointed Rafael McDonnell, who created Coca Cola's now extinct download service MyCokemusic.com, as vice president of brand partnerships, licensing and synchronisation for the UK and Ireland.

McDonnell will be responsible for creating partnerships with major brands and agencies and driving revenues from licensing and synchronisation when he takes up his role on December 8.

EMI aims to generate more revenue from the use of songs recorded by its artists, who include Katy Perry, Coldplay and Lily Allen.

McDonnell will report to Cynthia Sexton, EMI Music's vice president of global brand partnerships, licensing and synchronisation, based in LA.

McDonnell has spent the last three years as founder and managing director of Red Entertainment, a marketing consultancy specialising in music and entertainment, working with brand such as Coca-Cola.

Prior to establishing Red, he held a variety of senior marketing positions within consumer brand organisations including Pepsico and Coca-Cola, where he was head of marketing activation and strategic marketing alliances.

During his time at Coca-Cola McDonnell launched MyCokemusic.com, one of Europe's first major legal music download services.

It launched in January 2004, but was overtaken by Apple's iTunes Music Store and stopped selling songs in June 2006.

McDonnell said: "As music consumption continues to grow around the world and more and more brands and other commercial partners want to work with music, EMI's fantastic roster of artists will be ideally placed to serve this growing demand."

Sexton said: "At EMI Music we are focused on delivering the most compelling products to consumers and business partners and the most powerful services to our artists.

"Rafael's background, experience and love of music make him the ideal person to lead our UK team managing brand partnerships, licensing and synchronisation business."*

McDonnell is the latest executive to be hired outside the traditional record industry since EMI's takeover by private equity firm Terra Firma.

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