Industry veteran joins from Apple Music Canada
Andy West has been named Executive Vice President and General Manager of Warner Music Canada (WMC). He joins the company after serving as Country Manager for Apple Music for the last seven years. He will take up the appointment on February 14th and will be based in Toronto, reporting to Kristen Burke, President of Warner Music Canada.
In his new role, West will lead WMC’s strategic teams across marketing, digital, commercial revenue, publicity, promotion and licensing. His appointment comes as Warner Music Canada is expanding its roster, signing acts from an increasing range of genres, and working with a wider range of partners than ever to help tell its artists’ stories and connect them with fans.
Andy West says: “I’ve worked with Kristen over many years and have a huge respect for her leadership and strategic mindset. I’m so excited that she’s asked me to be part of her ambitious plans for growth at Warner Music Canada. For us, everything starts with the artists and the music, and we are passionate about harnessing all the tools at our disposal to help artists build relationships with fans and develop careers in this fast-changing business.”
Kristen Burke adds: “Andy is a hugely respected exec who has worked with labels and managers to help put Canadian artists on the map. He combines an enthusiasm for all genres of music with a business brain that enables him to put the right artists in the right places to connect with fans. He’s the perfect choice to help me grow and diversify our artist roster and tap new opportunities for them in addition to the still-growing streaming model.”
Starting his career as a Digital Marketing Manager at Sony Music Canada in 2002, West worked on campaigns for the likes of Beyoncé, Bob Dylan, Franz Ferdinand and Leonard Cohen.
He joined Yahoo! Music as a Content Producer in 2005, helping grow the channel to reach more than one million regular users in its first six months. He was promoted to become a Senior Manager at Yahoo! Entertainment, working on licensing deals for the music website and developing partnerships with blue chip brands such as General Motors, SonyEricsson and Toyota.
West moved to Warner Bros Entertainment in 2009, serving as Director of Digital Distribution and Marketing, negotiating deals to place its content across multiple platforms.
He joined Apple in 2011, initially serving as Country Manager for iTunes Movies, TV and Music, before becoming the Country Manager for Apple Music at its launch in 2015.
