Giuseppe De Cristofano, head of digital for the BPI & BRIT Awards for the past two and a half years, has been promoted to the newly-created position of director of digital, BPI & BRIT Awards.
De Cristofano (pictured) will report to chief operating officer MJ Olaore and the appointment comes into effect on January 1.
In a further boost to the BPI’s digital profile, Darren Kruse will join the organisation on January 9 to manage its digital communications and content.
Reporting to communications director Gennaro Castaldo, Kruse joins from Global, the media and entertainment group, where he has managed digital engagement for the National Lottery-funded The Big Music Project over the past eighteen months.
In his role as digital communications and content manager, Kruse will look to develop and optimise engagement across digital and social channels to amplify the BPI’s communications.
In a separate move, the BPI’s head of content protection, Tim Cooper, is returning to the sports sector, where he previously spent 17 years, having been tempted back by the Premier League to run its content protection activities. Cooper leaves on February 17 2017, and the BPI will announce details of the new head of department in due course.
Geoff Taylor, chief executive BPI and BRIT Awards, commented: “Digital engagement is fundamental to the BPI’s efforts to promote British music, not least through the BRIT Awards and the Mercury Prize. Giuseppe’s industry knowledge and keen understanding of the social and digital media landscape are exactly what we require to drive our strategy forward. We are thrilled to announce his appointment as director of digital.
“I am also delighted to welcome to our communications team Darren Kruse, whose strong experience in digital comms and content creation will allow us to build on the BPI’s growing social presence. We are very sorry to lose Tim Cooper, but we understand the attraction for him of returning to the sports arena. We wish him all the best in his new role and thank him for his hard work at the BPI.”
