VP Partnerships & Acquisitions - AWAL

About Sony Music Entertainment

At Sony Music Entertainment, we fuel the creative journey. We’ve played a pioneering role in music history, from the first-ever music label to the invention of the flat disc record. We’ve nurtured some of music’s most iconic artists and produced some of the most influential recordings of all time.

Today, we work in more than 70 countries, supporting a diverse roster of international superstars, developing and independent artists, and visionary creators. From our position at the intersection of music, entertainment, and technology, we bring imagination and expertise to the newest products and platforms, embrace new business models, employ breakthrough tools, and provide powerful insights that help our artists push creative boundaries and reach new audiences. In everything we do, we’re committed to artistic integrity, transparency, and entrepreneurship.

Sony Music Entertainment is a member of the Sony family of global companies.

As the VP, Acquisitions, you will work with the senior leadership team to identify, source, negotiate and implement acquisitions (including catalogs), joint ventures, partnerships and new commercial opportunities. This role will work globally, running the entire deal process for opportunities across the world. This is a rare opportunity to have an influence on the development of the music industry and how AWAL is best positioned going forward.
The VP position will work with the AWAL and Sony Music teams to develop the strategy, evaluate the market, source opportunities, negotiate transactions and ultimately integrate deals within the AWAL ecosystem.

• Develop and own the acquisition strategy for AWAL
• Drive relationships on a global basis to source and close new opportunities, creating a network of business managers, lawyers, and other partners who see AWAL as first stop for potential deals
• Track market developments to identify insights and develop theses on trends impacting the recorded music industry; translate this knowledge into ideas and innovative opportunities for the company around business initiatives, partnerships, investments, and acquisitions
• Contribute to investment and acquisition deal processes, including working cross-functionally across AWAL and Sony Music to conduct due diligence and support negotiations
• Support finance team in creating financial valuation models for each deal, ensuring we have the right view on deal terms and structure
• Contribute to investment presentations and approval memos for senior management and executive board meetings
• Engage with AWAL’s team to secure best thinking about opportunities in each market and collaborate where appropriate with local AWAL teams to assess, negotiate and close deals in international markets
• Run process post deal-close to evaluate and further drive performance

• Must have demonstrated experience sourcing and negotiating catalog acquisitions for contemporary music.
• Established executive within the music business, who has experience managing entire lifecycle of a deal, from strategy to closing
• Have extensive relationships within music, with a clear sense of how you would contribute deal opportunities from day one
• Excellent interpersonal and networking skills necessary for developing effective business relationships both within and outside the company
• Passion for music with deep interest in the media and tech sectors and an understanding of the startup ecosystem
• Proactive self-starter with agility to flex from high-level strategist and tactical thinker to practical implementation and day-to-day execution
• Entrepreneurial mindset, able to come up with creative inputs, suggestions, and solutions to a variety of business problems
• Adept at working with people at various levels/functions and enjoy both collaborative and self-directed projects
• Ability to anticipate and identify industry trends and distill them into actionable ideas and opportunities, with a perspective on potential investable market trends
• Exceptional verbal and written skills, able to present ideas clearly and thoroughly to diverse stakeholder audiences
• 7 years minimum experience in deal making role within music, including actively acquiring music catalogs

• You join an inclusive, collaborative and global community where you have the opportunity to fuel the creative journey
• A modern office environment designed to foster productivity, creativity, and teamwork
• An attractive and comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life & disability coverage, and 401K + employer matching
• Voluntary benefits like company-paid identity theft protection and resources for pets, mental health and meditation resources, industry-leading fertility coverage, fully paid leave for childbirth or bonding, fully paid leave for caregivers, programs for loved ones with developmental disabilities and neurodiversity, subsidized back-up child and elder care, and reimbursement for adoption, surrogacy, tuition and student loans
• We invest in your professional growth & development
• Time off for a winter recess

Sony Music is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of age, disability, national origin, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, veteran or military status, marital and civil partnership/union status, alienage or citizenship status, creed, genetic information or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

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