Warner Music Japan picked Eitaro Shibasaki as its new EVP and Chief Business Officer, with a board seat attached. Takeshi Okada, the label’s president and CEO, will be his boss. Shibasaki will handle new-business work, commercial execution, strategy, partner ties, market share, and revenue.
Japan gives the hire extra weight. The country ranks second worldwide for recorded music sales, behind the United States, while physical formats rank first. The market grew 8.9% YoY after staying flat the year before, and IFPI linked that rebound with the wider recovery in physical revenue.
Shibasaki came up through Label Mobile Inc., later RecoChoku Co., Ltd., working across marketing, licensing, and platform operations. He later helped start Eggs Project with NTT DOCOMO, Inc. and Tower Records Japan Inc., then became president of Eggs Co., Ltd. At Warner, he will work with Okada and regional CFO Franck Pidou.
Japan gives the hire extra weight. The country ranks second worldwide for recorded music sales, behind the United States, while physical formats rank first. The market grew 8.9% YoY after staying flat the year before, and IFPI linked that rebound with the wider recovery in physical revenue.
Shibasaki came up through Label Mobile Inc., later RecoChoku Co., Ltd., working across marketing, licensing, and platform operations. He later helped start Eggs Project with NTT DOCOMO, Inc. and Tower Records Japan Inc., then became president of Eggs Co., Ltd. At Warner, he will work with Okada and regional CFO Franck Pidou.
