Per Sundin appointed CEO at Pop House Sweden and Non-Executive Chairman, Universal Music Nordic Region

07 August 2019 - Press release

UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP EXPANDS STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT TEAM WITHIN THE NORDIC REGION

Universal Music Group (UMG) announced today that Per Sundin, Managing Director, Universal Music Sweden and President, Universal Music Nordic Region will step-down from his current role at UMG to take up the position of CEO, POP HOUSE GROUP in Sweden effective 1 September. Simultaneously, Sundin will take on the new role of Non-Executive Chairman, Universal Music Nordic Region extending his long-standing relationship with the company.

POP HOUSE Sweden was co-founded by Björn Ulvaeus in 2014, principally as a way to create exciting, unique live events that encapsulate and promote the ABBA brand. Initiatives launched so far include the POP HOUSE HOTEL, the dinner show MAMMA MIA! – THE PARTY, held at entertainment hotspots around the world, ABBA The Museum in Stockholm and the CIRKUS concert and event venue, which is also based in the capital.

Sundin will continue to play a valuable part in the ongoing success of Universal Music in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland through his appointment to the position of Non-Executive Chairman, Universal Music Nordic Region. In this role, he will continue to report to Frank Briegmann, CEO & President of Universal Music Central Europe and Deutsche Grammophon. In addition, Briegmann will also receive a seat on the advisory board of POP HOUSE, as the representative for Universal Music.

Per Sundin, designated Non-Executive Chairman of Universal Music Nordic Region and CEO POP HOUSE: “I’m profoundly proud and thankful to be able to continue my working relationship with Frank Briegmann and the excellent UMG Nordics family as I step in to my new role, and for the opportunity to embark on a new endeavor in the entertainment business as CEO for Pop House Group.”

Frank Briegmann, CEO & President of Universal Music Central Europe and Deutsche Grammophon: “I have had a very close, trusting and successful working relationship with Per for many years now and I am thrilled that we will continue to collaborate with one another under this new arrangement. ABBA’s wonderful, timeless body of work offers huge potential for generations to come, and I am looking forward to working with Per to provide fans with even more absorbing experiences and provide the artists with more traction around the world.” 

Universal Music Central Europe, a division of Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music entertainment, has also announced a series of executive promotions within the Nordic region as it expands its core executive management team and operations within the region. Through these strategic appointments, UMG is accelerating the company’s focus on A&R, digital and creative innovation, cross-market collaboration and future export growth as it continues to reinforce its position as the leading music company within the region.

Effective 1 September, Bjorn Rogstad, (General Manager Universal Music Norway), Kimmo Valtanen (General Manager Universal Music Finland) and Joakim Johansson (General Manager/Marketing Director Universal Music Sweden) will each be appointed as Managing Director of their respective countries. These executives will form the new executive management team for the region alongside Casper Bengtson, who will continue his great leadership as Managing Director Universal Music Denmark.

Frank Briegmann, CEO & President of Universal Music Central Europe and Deutsche Grammophon: “As a music market at the forefront of the streaming and digital transformation, the Nordic region continues to play an important role in the future development of the global music ecosystem. In recent years, we have seen many UMG artists from these countries successfully reach new international audiences and find great success around the world, and we will continue to focus on developing the most outstanding talent within the region, both locally and internationally. Congratulations to Bjorn, Joakim and Kimmo for their respective appointments to the role of Managing Director. Over the past few years, Bjorn, Casper, Joakim and Kimmo have worked tirelessly to grow the success of our artists and UMG in their respective markets and have all lead strong local teams for a number of years. Together we will continue to strengthen the creative cooperation between all of our Northern European territories and beyond. I look forward to continuing my close working relationship with my great colleagues in Central Europe, as we write further success stories in the region and globally.”