In one of the most dramatic games of musical chairs Down Under in recent memory, Rosen will step into the slot left vacant by the departure of Niko Nordström, who is returning to his homeland, Finland.
Announced Wednesday morning, Rosen will start in his new job on Feb. 1, 2021, an extended lead time that will enable a smooth handover.
It’s the end of an era for ARIA and PPCA, the Australian recorded music industry trade bodies which Rosen has led since November 2010. The industry in the land Down Under looks a lot different today.
With Rosen at the helm, sweeping changes were made to the ARIA board in 2018, by way of amendments to the trade body’s constitution intended to better reflect the diversity and inclusiveness of territory's record industry.
And over time, ARIA has expanded its suite of charts and incorporated streaming data to reflect the shift to music consumption.
Prior to the pandemic, Australia's recorded music industry was in fine shape. A Top 10 global market, according to the IFPI, the territory has enjoyed a period of sustained growth and is now powered by streaming.
“Dan is coming to us with an extraordinary depth of knowledge and range of experience – as a pioneering exec, an artists’ advocate, and a successful performer himself," comments Stu Bergen, CEO, International and Global Commercial Services, Warner Recorded Music. "He’s seen the business from all sides and has been a passionate and fearless defender and protector of the rights of music creators in the digital age. He’ll be an exceptional addition to our global leadership team, and a great champion of our amazing artists and teams in Australia and New Zealand.”
In the past decade, Rosen has championed the creative communities through his work on several boards, including Creative Partnerships Australia and through his role on the Australian Government’s Creative Industries Taskforce to help the rebuild the sector through the pandemic.
The boards of ARIA and PPCA paid tribute to the outgoing executive.
Rosen "has been instrumental in the transformation of our industry bodies through his passion and loyalty and ensured that Australian music labels and artists are rightly positioned locally and internationally," comments Denis Handlin, chairman of ARIA.
His comments are echoed by George Ash, chairman of PPCA. During his tenure, Ash notes, Rosen "championed the rights of Australian labels and recording artists, resulting in record revenues and distributions to our stakeholders. He achieved major policy outcomes with the Federal Government, won
significant legal battles to establish increased rights and launched the ‘One Music Australia’ initiative."
Previously, Rosen was based in New York working as Head of Americas for KIT Digital, a NASAQ-listed digital media company.
An award-winning independent musician, Rosen starting his career on the business side of music as a lawyer, specializing in media and technology, with Minter Ellison, going on to serve as advisor to the Minister of Communications.
Back in 2003, Rosen’s band Second Dan won the Triple J Unearthed competition, and he has released several albums.
At Warner Music, Rosen succeeds Nordström who, late Tuesday, was named executive vice president, Warner Music Nordics and managing director of Warner Music Finland, and will return home to Helsinki.
In recent days, the industry confirmed its flagship ARIA Awards will be held Nov. 25 at its regular spot at The Star Event Centre in Sydney, and streamed to the world.
