Darius Van Arman named Chairperson of Merlin, as indie label agency elects new Board – Music Business Worldwide

Independent label agency Merlin has elected its new Board.

The organization’s Board, elected from and by its members, includes representatives from across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America, and Oceania.

Merlin says this “diverse expertise” will “provide strategic guidance to Merlin in better serving its membership,” which is composed of tens of thousands of labels representing music from hundreds of thousands of artists around the world.

This year, says Merlin, nearly half of the board members have been elected or appointed for their first term, with 11 members returning for another term.

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, Director of Sales & Label Relations, Redeye (US); and Yushi Yamashita, President, RightsScale (Japan).

Advisors appointed this year include Katie Alberts, COO, Reach Records, who previously served on the Merlin Board. Joining for the first time are: Glen Barros, Managing Partner, Exceleration Music; Rachel Buswell, Head of Digital Partnerships and Analytics, Domino; and Jennifer Newman Sharpe, GC and Head of Business Affairs, ONErpm.

Returning to Merlin’s board for another term are: 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); Martin Mills; Founder & Chairman, Beggars Group (UK); Michael Ugwu, CEO, Freeme Digital (Nigeria); Pieter van Rijn, CEO, FUGA (Netherlands); Horst Weidenmüller, CEO & Owner, !K7 (Germany); and Justin West, President & CEO, Secret City (Canada).

Darius Van Arman, who first joined Merlin’s Board in 2015, will step into the role of Chairperson, and is based in New York.

Van Arman is the co-CEO of Secretly Group, Secretly Distribution, Numero Group and Ghostly International, and was previously elected to the board of A2IM.

He succeeds current Exceleration Music partner and former Epitaph executive Dave Hansen, who steps down as Executive Chairperson of Merlin’s Board.

Hansen served in the role since his appointment in 2019, having previously served as Chairperson for the prior two years, and as a long-time Merlin Board Member.

“Merlin is led by the needs of our diverse and growing membership.”

Jeremy Sirota, Merlin

“Merlin is led by the needs of our diverse and growing membership.

“We take great pride at Merlin in representing members from every part of the world through trust, access, flexibility and transparency.

“Our Board is a vibrant and strong voice from our membership. We’re pleased that our new Board has music industry leaders with such a wide range of expertise—I look forward to their advice, guidance, and perspectives.”Music Business Worldwide