ARIA replaces Denis Handlin with first woman president Natalie Waller

The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) has appointed its first female president to replace Denis Handlin, who was forced to relinquish his seat in June after being dismissed as CEO of Sony Music Australia.

ABC Music and Events Manager Natalie Waller will chair ARIA’s Board of Directors for the next two years, effective immediately.

Until 2019, ARIA’s board of directors was made up entirely of male executives. ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd welcomed Waller’s appointment, saying Goalkeeper Australia the pair were “on the same page about where we want to go”.

Herd also said that further announcements regarding the ARIA Awards would be made “soon”, with “some evolution”.

“We will strive to restore the balance of our juries and do all the work we need to do to move forward on issues of cultural diversity and cultural awareness… to reflect the true diversity of the industry,” Herd said on the website. .

In a press release, Waller said she was “very excited” to start.

“In this time of change and challenge for the Australian music industry, I am determined to give my all to continue ARIA’s mission of standing up for our fantastic artists and our industry,” she said.

Handlin has been a member of the ARIA Board of Directors since 1984. “Denis Handlin sits on the ARIA Board of Directors as a representative of Sony Music,” said an ARIA spokesperson. NME back in June. “As he no longer works at Sony Music, he can no longer serve on the ARIA board of directors.”

Earlier this year, a Sony Music Australia investigation uncovered allegations that senior executive Tony Glover intimidated and harassed some of his colleagues, which led to his dismissal in April. Glover, who was the label’s vice president of commercial music, denied the allegations.

Last week the Herald of the Sun and Sunday age reported that Sony Music’s head office in the United States is investigating allegations of discrimination, bullying and harassment in the Australian office. Sony is said to have engaged an outside counsel independent of the company to conduct the investigation.

the Herald of the Sun and Sunday age noted that it has not been suggested that Handlin was the subject of the allegations, or involved or implicated in the allegations under investigation.