Music industry executive Mark Collen has announced his departure from Sony Music Entertainment after a decade as EVP international operations to launch a new consultancy firm, Night Manager Entertainment.
Collen started his career at A&M Records in Paris and went on to hold a number of senior leadership roles within the EMI Group over a 20-year period, before joining Sony in 2012.
London-based Night Manager Entertainment will offer strategic leadership and international marketing consultancy to a range of clients across the music industry, including labels, management companies, technology platforms and the investment sector.
Collen was previously marketing director for Parlophone (EMI), where he oversaw campaigns for Radiohead, Blur, Queen and Crowded House among others. He became MD of Chrysalis Records, merging it with EMI records to become EMI:Chrysalis and worked with artists including Robbie Williams, Iron Maiden and Pink Floyd and delivered successful label collaborations with Heavenly Recordings and dance label Positiva. Collen was appointed SVP, global marketing for EMI Music and oversaw international success for Coldplay and Norah Jones among others, before rejoining EMI UK as SVP, EMI UK.
After running his own advisory business, Tideswell Media, and starting an artist management company, Collen subsequently joined Sony Music Entertainment in 2012 to oversee the global marketing strategy for One Direction’s second studio album Take Me Home, which topped the charts in 35 countries and became the fourth biggest selling album worldwide of the year.
Promoted to the position of EVP, international operations, Collen went on to enjoy international success with numerous artists across the Sony label group including George Ezra, Calvin Harris, Little Mix, Rag ‘n’ Bone Man, Tom Odell, Bring Me The Horizon, Nothing But Thieves, Robbie Williams, J Hus and Tom Grennan, among many others.
Sony Music is nominated in the International Marketing Team Of The Year at the Music Week Awards 2023.
Mark Collen said: “After a wonderful decade with Sony, where I’m grateful and privileged to have worked with some amazing people and artists and a career working some of the greatest artists of our time, I couldn’t be more energised at the thought of embracing this new venture.
“At a time when we are seeing seismic shifts in the way music is conceived, consumed and engaged with, this feels like the perfect time to apply my experience and insights on behalf of the wider music industry to help them and the artists they represent navigate this exciting new global landscape.”
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