Streaming service Deezer has appointed Dr. Hans-Holger Albrecht as its new Chief Executive Officer.
Albrecht will take up the position on February 1, 2015, when he will also become a member of the board of Directors. He replaces Axel Dauchez, who quit as Deezer CEO in April to become the boss of Publicis France.
Deezer currently boasts 16 million registered users and over 6 million paying subscribers.
Albrecht moves over to Deezer from Millicom where he was President and CEO of the telecom and media group, offering digital services to over 50 million customers in Africa and Latin America.
Previously he held the post of President and CEO of Modern Times Group, one of Europe’s larger media groups with TV, Radio, Publishing, Production and New Media assets and 1,500 employees in over 20 countries.
Didier Bench, Chairman of the Board, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Hans-Holger to Deezer. We’ve worked with him before and know he brings real expertise from the Telco, Entertainment and Services sectors in the workings of subscription models, video and Pay for TV, Radio and advertising.”
“It is with a tremendous sense of excitement that I take on the role of CEO of Deezer,” Hans-Holger Albrecht said. “This is a company that has already built a substantial user base of 16 million people in more than 180 countries. It has come a long way already and become a thriving, pioneering company that is helping to redefine the way we all discover and enjoy music.”
“Together with the board and the management team, we will work towards continuing Deezer’s stellar trajectory in the context of a booming market, where streaming holds so much promise for the future of audio listening.”
The appointment follows Deezer’s its launch in the United States in September, which saw it target high-end audio enthusiasts with High Definition lossless sound and partnerships with leading manufacturers Sonos and Bose.
Since then Deezer has acquired popular radio and podcasting company Stitcher, adding to a number of other new partnerships including telecommunications leader Tim in Brazil, media conglomerates ProSiebenSat.1 in Germany and FastWeb in Italy, The Voice in the Netherlands and Samsung worldwide.
Daniel Marhely, Deezer’s Founder said: “With over 20 years’ international experience in running media and Telecom enterprises at the pinnacle of digital innovation, Hans-Holger is a perfect fit. Combined with our focus on product innovation and our ambitious partnership strategy, I’ve no doubt that he will help us take Deezer to the next phase of its development.”Music Business Worldwide
