Randy Lennox – Departs to head up Bell Media
TORONTO, 25 AUGUST 2015 – Universal Music Group (UMG), the world’s leading music company, announced today that Jeffrey Remedios has been named President and Chief Executive Officer of Universal Music Canada, effective September 21.
Remedios, co-founder of Arts & Crafts, Canada’s premiere independent music company, will succeed Randy Lennox, who has been appointed President of Entertainment Production and Broadcasting at Bell Media, Canada’s largest television, radio and digital media company.
“I want to thank Randy for transforming our Canadian company into the market leader both commercially and creatively,” Grainge said. “He will be missed at UMG, and I’m confident he will achieve great things in his new role. I congratulate Jeffrey on his appointment. We are fortunate to have found an executive with his creative instincts and proven entrepreneurial track record to lead Universal Music Canada.”
Lennox said, “It has been a pleasure working with Lucian and his executive team in building Universal Music Canada into the home for Canadian artists who have made an impact around the world. Jeffrey is a talented executive who represents continued great leadership at Universal Music Canada. This company has been my home for many years and I leave with the confidence that it’s in excellent hands, with a senior executive team who will lead the business into a bright future.”
“I want to thank Lucian for this incredible opportunity,” Remedios said. “Randy will be a tough act to follow, having created one of the best companies in the music industry. I’m looking forward to working with Universal Music Canada’s extraordinary roster of artists and executives to continue their stellar record of artistic and commercial excellence.”
Remedios co-founded Arts & Crafts in 2003 after the release of Broken Social Scene’s album You Forgot It in People, and oversees all aspects of the company’s business, helping build a global operation with offices in Toronto, Los Angeles and Mexico City. Arts & Crafts is a record label and music-focused artist services company that offers artist management, merchandising and publishing services. He also founded Field Trip, Toronto’s community music and arts festival.
Remedios serves as Chairman of FACTOR, the Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings, and belongs to the boards of CARAS, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, and TMAC, the City of Toronto Music Advisory Counsel.
Prior to Arts & Crafts, Remedios worked at Virgin Music Canada, later EMI Music Canada, for seven years, holding positions in Media & Artist Relations and Digital Marketing, rising to Director of National Promotion. He graduated from Hamilton’s McMaster University in 1998 with an Honours Commerce Degree and a minor in Music. McMaster presented Remedios with its Alumni Gallery Award in 2013.
Universal Music Canada is the country’s leading music company with international and domestic artists including Justin Bieber, Shania Twain, Drake, Hedley, Carly Rae Jepsen, Diana Krall, Nickelback, The Tenors, The Tragically Hip and The Weeknd. Canadian Music Week has named Universal Music Canada the country’s top major record company for 15 consecutive years.
ABOUT UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP
Universal Music Group is the global music leader, with wholly owned operations in 60 territories. Its businesses also include Universal Music Publishing Group, one of the industry’s premier music publishing operations worldwide.
Universal Music Group’s labels include A&M Records, Angel, Astralwerks, Blue Note Records, Capitol Christian Music Group, Capitol Records, Capitol Records Nashville, Caroline, Decca, Def Jam Recordings, Deutsche Grammophon, Disa, Emarcy, EMI Records Nashville, Fonovisa, Geffen Records, Harvest, Interscope Records, Island Records, Machete Music, Manhattan, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville, Mercury Records, Motown Records, Polydor Records, Republic Records, Universal Music Latino, Verve Music Group, Virgin Records, Virgin EMI Records, as well as a multitude of record labels owned or distributed by its record company subsidiaries around the world. The Universal Music Group owns the most extensive catalogue of music in the industry, which includes the last 100 years of the world’s most popular artists and their recordings. UMG’s catalogue is marketed through two distinct divisions, Universal Music Enterprises (in the U.S.) and Universal Strategic Marketing (outside the U.S.). Universal Music Group also includes Global Digital Business, its new media and technologies division and Bravado, its merchandising company.