Merlin Hires CAA Veteran Adam Wright for Chief Financial Officer Role
Adam Wright, a veteran executive at several agencies and major labels, has been appointed chief financial officer of indie rights non-profit Merlin, succeeding Helen Alexander, who exits the organization after five and a half years.
Wright arrives from CAA, where he oversaw brand licensing in Europe, Middle East, and Africa as the firm’s director of finance. Previously, Wright held top-tier positions at Sony Music, handling operations across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore; and at Cooperative Music (now [PIAS] Cooperative), which was UMG’s indie-focused global licensing and distribution network until being sold in 2013.
Based in the UK, Wright will be responsible for all of the org’s financial, treasury and tax functions on a global basis. He arrives at a time of growth for Merlin, which says it has added 37 new members since last summer and is coming off deals and/or partnerships with Pinterest, Twitch Lickd and others.
“[Wright] is highly respected in his field and brings the right blend of long-term thinking, technical skills, and impressive leadership to benefit Merlin, its members and our partners around the globe,” said Jeremy Sirota, Merlin CEO.
Wright added that he was thrilled to return to the indie sector. “Independents’ passion for music is only matched by their level of innovation and entrepreneurship,” he said. “It’s a privilege to join Merlin as they continue to deliver on that ethos on behalf of their members and digital partners around the world.”
Since launching in 2008, Merlin has distributed over $2 billion to its almost 900 members, including more than 20,000 labels and distributors in nearly 70 countries that it says make up 15% of the global digital recorded-music market.
Marc Schneider
Billboard
