Universal Music Group has appointed Francisca Goncalves as senior vice president, global head of sync, Classics, Jazz & Screen.
“This first-of-its-kind position within UMG’s sync operations will bridge publishing and records, and Francisca will lead the global sync vision for UMG’s classical, jazz, and screen-music ecosystem – from contemporary instrumental and score to folk, blues, and alternative pop – across film, TV, advertising, gaming, and beyond,” said a statement.
Goncalves will work across Global Classics & Jazz’s (GCJ) labels, including Decca, Fontana, Deutsche Grammophon, Blue Note, Verve, Hyperion and ECM, alongside Universal Music Publishing Group’s Classics & Screen roster of composers, songwriters, and electronic producers.
“Her appointment underscores UMG’s expanding global footprint in elevating Classical, Jazz & Screen repertoire into mainstream culture through highly impactful sync opportunities,” added the statement.
Since taking on this expanded remit, Goncalves has amplified classical and alternative genres with placements in media (The Bear, Euphoria, The Last of Us) and brands (Louis Vuitton, Prada, Apple), as well as developing sync and original score opportunities including 2026 Super Bowl campaigns – Max Richter’s original score for the launch of Cadillac’s F1 team and Jerskin Fendrix’s score for a Yorgos Lanthimos-directed Squarespace campaign.
Meanwhile, the development of sync A&R has so far seen high-profile placements for Gwilym Gold (Alien: Earth), Sebastian Plano (Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power), Ólafur Arnalds (Outlander: The Final Season), among others.
She is by far the best executive to drive this business into the next era
Natasha Baldwin
Goncalves will report to Natasha Baldwin, president, Global Classics, Jazz & Screen, and will lead the specialist global sync teams, spanning creative and strategy, across both the label and publishing divisions in Los Angeles and London.
Natasha Baldwin said: “Fran is uniquely placed to support the continued growth of our Global Classics, Jazz, and Screen sync division, consistently delivering high-profile campaigns and syncs to composers and artists across the world in advertising, film, TV, games, and trailers. We see this as a quickly expanding area of opportunity for composers and artists, and she is by far the best executive to drive this business into the next era. We are delighted to support her in this expanded role.”
Francisca Goncalves added: “I’m incredibly honoured to step into the role of global head of sync and build on our success by uniting the team and honing our sync strategy under one shared vision – empowering artists, strengthening our partnerships, and continuing to push creative boundaries together.”
Goncalves joined Universal Music Group in 2015, starting at the UK office in London where she helped expand sync opportunities for the company’s specialist divisions. She was promoted to vice president of sync in 2019, relocating to Los Angeles to bolster North American sync operations.
In 2022, she took on a global sync creative and strategy role spanning both divisions, overseeing US creative sync across all media, global legal approvals, and strategy.
Photo Credit: Neil Sharum
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