The European Music Managers Alliance (EMMA) has appointed German manager Tessy Schulz as the organisation’s new chair.
An experienced executive with over 20 years in the music business, including more than a decade with Sony Music Germany and Sony Music Europe, Schulz now runs her own management company and consults widely for global artists and brands, as well as lecturing at universities.
Known for her expertise in international marketing, A&R, executive production, leadership and artist management, she remains a board member of German music managers association IMUC.
Working alongside executive director, Jess Partridge, Schulz will continue the progress of EMMA’s founding chair, Per Kviman. Having served a maximum six-year tenure, Kviman will now become one of three new vice-chairs.
The developments follow a recent period of expansion for EMMA, with the organisation now acting as a representative voice in Europe for 18 national music management bodies in Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and the UK.
Our ongoing mission is to raise awareness of our vital role, strengthening our collective voice and driving EMMA’s impact forward
Tessy Schulz
To ensure efficient and democratic decision-making, these member bodies of EMMA have also decided to elect a new 10-person board.
The inaugural EMMA board is as follows:
Tessy Schulz (IMUC, Germany) (chair)
Martijn Munk (MMF NL, Netherlands) (vice-chair)
Erlend Buflaten (NEMAA, Norway) (vice-chair)
Per Kviman (MMF Sweden) (vice-chair)
Annabella Coldrick (MMF UK)
Ciaran Conroy (AIM Ireland)
Denes Pecsi-Szabo (ZEME, Hungary)
Ira Lobanok (Porichka Ukraine)
Pawel Walicki (IGMAP, Poland)
Thea Zaitsev (Music Estonia)
Tessy Schulz, chair, EMMA, said: "As the new chair of EMMA, I’m proud to build on the strong foundation of our first six years and the leadership of my immediate predecessor Per Kviman. At EMMA, we raise the voice of managers – and through us, the voice of every artist we represent. Our ongoing mission is to raise awareness of our vital role, strengthening our collective voice and driving EMMA’s impact forward.”
Jess Partridge, executive director, EMMA, said: “This is a really significant moment in EMMA’s development. Since I came onboard as executive director two years ago, we’ve added five new members and really expanded the scope of our operations with initiatives like the EMMPower programme as well as an increasing range of advocacy work. It is vital that music managers have a truly representative voice at the heart of Europe, and our new structure ensures EMMA can deliver their views in a more powerful and concerted way.”
Through its membership structure, EMMA currently represents over 3,000 music managers in Europe. They oversee the careers and businesses of more than 12,000 artists, songwriters and producers.
Through links to allied organisations in Australia, Canada and New Zealand, EMMA also has direct contact with another 600 managers worldwide.
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