Describe your background and industry experience, and explain how it will help you contribute to the SOCAN Board of Directors?
I am the CEO of Red Brick Songs Inc. and have built Red Brick into a global music publishing company over the past 25 years. I am currently the Vice-Chair of the SOCAN Board, Board Chair of the SOCAN Human Resources Committee, and sit on the Risk and Executive Governance SOCAN Board committees. I have served on the SOCAN Board since 2012 and have enjoyed contributing to thoughtful discourse on the Board. I bring to the Board my financial/business experience and legal background as a corporate/entertainment lawyer when reviewing and analyzing financial matters and a broad range of copyright/licensing issues and negotiations. My contacts with other independent music publishers around the world can also be helpful when the Board needs to look at solutions used in foreign jurisdictions to resolve our own Canadian domestic issues or collaborate with other with industry organizations. I am currently the Chair of the Board of Music Publishers Canada, and sit on the Board of Directors for IMPF (Independent Music Publishers Forum) which is a global organization of independent music publishers, and also sit on the Board of IMPEL (a mechanical license organization based in the UK comprised of independent music publishers formed to collect mechanicals in Europe and particular territories). On both the IMPEL and IMPF Boards, I sit on Artificial Intelligence committees. I am also a member Independent Publisher Advisory Committee at NMPA.
In your opinion, what issues will be most important to SOCAN members over the next three years?
- Artificial Intelligence: our industry is constantly disrupted by new technology. We must move forward with licensing AI but ensure we negotiate licenses that financially benefit creators and publishers for all uses of AI, allowing our industry and art to grow and to benefit from the use of AI as a tool, while also preserving copyright.
- Data: we work in a world of increasing amounts of data and we must strive to process royalties faster and with greater accuracy to ensure creators and publishers receive higher payments from digital services.
- Licensing: new technologies mean we need to be quicker to license new platforms and tools and collaborate within our industry to achieve higher rates for creators and publishers. We also need to find creative ways to boost discoverability for creators on these platforms.
- Canadian content: we need to ensure that Canada remains a vibrant territory for local talent and that the industry structures we have in place support further development and growth.