Downtown Music Holdings has announced three executive promotions.
Manan Vohra has been promoted to chief technology officer and Harmen Hemminga named vice president of product and services strategy.
Both Vohra and Hemminga work in the business-to-business division Downtown Music, which is led by president Pieter van Rijn. It includes Fuga, Downtown Music Services, Adrev and Downtown Music Publishing.
Based in Amsterdam, Vohra will be moving from his role as chief technology officer of Fuga to lead the wider product and technology strategy for Downtown Music. An active member of the DDEX board, Vohra joined Fuga from 7Digital in August 2020.
Amsterdam-based Hemminga is promoted from his role as head of partnerships and strategic projects for Fugam where he oversaw the distributor’s licensing, catalogue development and partnerships efforts. In his new position as VP of product and services strategy, Hemminga will be responsible for identifying and creating strategic product, services and business tracks within the Downtown Music vertical.
Joining Fuga in 2017 as a senior account manager, Hemminga progressed after a year to become head of onboarding and later head of partnerships and strategic projects. His knowledge and understanding of the digital supply chain and best data practices has seen him lend his expertise to multiple global conferences, including Music Biz, ADE, WISE and DDEX/ The BIG Summit.
Also announced is the promotion of Gareth Mellor to vice president, global marketing and communications for Downtown Music Holdings. Mellor also joins from Fuga, where he has served as global head of B2B since June 2021 after spells as head of UK & Ireland for Believe-owned DIY distributor Tunecore and UK & EU MD for Kobalt and AWAL.
After establishing Fuga’s global marketing presence, he expanded the team across Amsterdam, London and New York, while overseeing the distributor’s global presence.
Mellor will oversee the marketing efforts of Downtown’s portfolio of businesses, reporting directly to chief marketing officer of Downtown Music Holdings, Molly Neuman.
Pieter van Rijn, president of Downtown Music, said: “As we continue to align our global service offering across Downtown Music, it is my great pleasure to be welcoming two exceptional executive leaders into the division to help lead the way forwards. Both Manan and Harmen have made unprecedented contributions to the growth and development of Fuga’s technology and strategic services, and I am confident they will bring their unparalleled knowledge and experience to the wider Downtown Music group, spearheading our next chapter.”
Downtown is in a truly unique position with its wide range of technology and services for music rights holders globally
Harmen Hemmingao
Manan Vohra, chief technology officer of Downtown Music, said “I take great pride in having worked alongside Fuga’s product and technology teams over the last few years and to have been a part of the forward-thinking progression of the company’s product lines. I now look forward to joining the Downtown Music leadership team alongside Pieter and Dave, and continuing to build on the group’s holistic technology offering.”
Harmen Hemminga, VP of project and services strategy, Downtown Music, said: “It’s been an extraordinary experience working at Fuga and alongside some of the most talented and dedicated people in the industry. I’ve continued to learn and feel inspired by the company and its clients day after day. Downtown is in a truly unique position with its wide range of technology and services for music rights holders globally, and I’m excited to work further across all teams within the Downtown Music division, and continue to develop and strengthen the offering for the company’s extensive client base.”
Gareth Mellor, VP of global marketing and communications, Downtown Music Holdings, said: “Since joining Fuga in 2021, I’ve witnessed first-hand the strengthening relationship between the different divisions in Downtown, which are themselves, some of the industry's most renowned and revered independent music brands. I’m excited to join Molly at Downtown Music Holdings to further establish the brand and solidify its place as the world’s leading music services company.”
Molly Neuman, chief marketing officer of Downtown Music Holdings, added: “At the core of Downtown’s mission to empower creators and champion the services that support them, is the establishment of a unified brand dedicated to innovation and excellence. Gareth has made exceptional strides in fortifying Fuga’s global brand presence, his aptitude across corporate communications and brand marketing is of a very high level and I am thrilled to work alongside him as we continue to reinforce and strengthen the Downtown Music Holdings brand offering.”
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