DISCIPLE MEDIA HIRES LEANNE SHARMAN AS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

24 July 2014 - Press release

Veteran digital music executive joins management team as direct-to-consumer mobile subscription business ramps up commercial activities

Disciple Media, the music technology company enabling artists to create deeper relationships with subscribing fans via its proprietary software platform, has appointed former Warner Music International and Napster UK senior executive Leanne Sharman as its Chief Operating Officer.

Reporting to Disciple Media founder and Chief Executive Officer Benji Vaughan, Sharman will be tasked with refining commercial strategy, building key commercial and rightsholder partnerships, establishing customer acquisition/retention strategies, leading deal implementation from signature to consumer launch and driving revenues across all areas of the business.

Disciple Media is a music technology business that believes the future of the music industry lies in the hands of the committed fan. Disciple has developed an industry-leading software platform enabling artists to easily publish exclusive content via artist-branded apps to the mobile devices of subscribing fans. By converting fans into subscribers, Disciple allows artists to turn content delivery and social interaction into revenue, creating two-way channels between artist and fans on all iOS and Android devices.

Benji Vaughan comments: “Leanne has long been a pioneer of developing digital business models and leading high-profile launches, with a particular track record of success with subscription services. Her commercial acumen, entrepreneurial zeal, experience working within the music industry, and in-depth understanding of digital music will add significant value as Disciple Media aggressively ramps up its commercial roll-out.”

Leanne Sharman says: “I’ve been privileged to work at the forefront of the fast-paced digital music industry for almost fifteen years, creating and implementing strategy from both an industry and a service perspective. In recent years, consumers have become much more educated about the benefits of subscription services, and I was immediately impressed by the huge potential for artists to create valuable new revenue streams through Disciple’s offering. I’m really looking forward to working with artists, labels, publishers and the whole Disciple Media team to help build the most compelling direct-to-consumer experiences possible.”

Leanne Sharman is a digital media, entertainment and music specialist, who has spent much of her career developing and launching innovative new services and business models. Before joining Disciple Media, Leanne spent six years on the global digital team at Warner Music International, leading digital strategy and business development across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and driving significant revenue growth for artists represented by the company. In her role, Leanne worked with a series of major partners including Apple, Google, Amazon, Samsung, Vodafone, BT and Spotify, defining commercial digital music models across multiple channels including streaming, subscription, ad-supported, on-demand, and cloud-based lockers.

As the first non-US hire for pioneering digital service Napster in 2003, Sharman led and launched the service in the UK in May 2004 prior to the European launch of Apple’s iTunes Music Store. She started her career in digital music in the senior management team at Vivendi’s MP3.com in Europe, and has also held senior sales, marketing and commercial development roles at Fox Kids Europe and Disney.