BMG has appointed London-based John Clifford to head its worldwide production music business. BMG Production Music (BMGPM) provides one-stop, pre-cleared and custom production music services to the global broadcast, film/trailer, games and advertising industries. Clifford reports to BMG CFO Maximilian Dressendoerfer who continues to oversee the segment. 

A native Australian, Clifford joined BMGPM in 2017 as MD UK and SVP global sales, marketing & repertoire. He has 25 years’ experience in production music, including running the former BMG Zomba in Australia and then later at Universal Production Music where he held the roles of MD UK, head of media rights management for Europe, and previously, GM Australia/NZ. 

As MD UK and SVP global sales, marketing & repertoire, Clifford has contributed to the growth of BMGPM, with the integration of UK acquisitions Altitude and Deep East Music, the worldwide relaunch of the BMGPM brand, and the development of business with new clients including Ninja Tune and Red Bull. He succeeds Geert-Willem (“GW”) Koolhof, who has decided to stand down following the completion of BMGPM’s initial build phase. Koolhof joined BMG in 2015 as finance and commercial director of Benelux where he led the business integration of Talpa Music with its subsidiary Music Director, and the investment in and integration of 8ball Music. In 2017, he served as interim executive overseeing the BMG Talpa publishing and recordings businesses and, subsequently, assumed responsibility for the production music segment as SVP International.  

Clifford’s appointment means London will succeed Berlin the worldwide headquarters of BMG Production Music. Together with catalog recordings, master licensing and sub-publishing, it brings to four the number of BMG’s global hubs now based in the UK capital.