EMI music publishing’s long serving managing director in Australia is leaving the company after a 34 year career. During his time at the publisher, not only did John Anderson last longer than pretty much any band in the industry, he also had a hand in the careers of Men at Work, Savage Garden, Air Supply, Icehouse, Jimmy Barnes, Divinyls, Diesel, The Wiggles, The Presets, The Veronicas and Ladyhawke.
In his place, the Australian music industry is set to say hola to EMI Music Publishing Spain managing director Santiago Menendez-Pidal, who will move to Sydney at an unspecified date later this year.
Menendez-Pidal, who has been with EMI Publishing since 2005, will report to EMI Group chairman and CEO Roger Faxon. Menendez-Pidal finds himself in a far more fortunate position than most people at EMI and the wider record company biz. EMI Music Publishing is the only profitable part of EMI in Australia, which would be in liquidation and wound up were it not for cash injections it receives from its similarly beleaguered UK parent company.
