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"Because the sales function is driven more and more by marketing and promotion initiatives, I will look to Phil to lead an effort to better integrate our sales division with our record labels’ marketing activities.
——David Munns, Vice Chairman of EMI Recorded Music

QUARTARARO NAMED EXECUTIVE VP AT EMI NORTH AMERICA

Veteran Exec to Lead Sales and Catalog Marketing Divisions
You read about it first on hitsdailydouble.com, and now it’s official: Phil Q’s back.

One of the industry’s most respected execs, Quartararo has been named Executive VP of EMI Recorded Music North America by EMI Recorded Music Vice Chairman/EMI Recorded Music N.A. CEO David Munns.

The appointment marks Quartararo’s return to EMI. He spent 11 years at Virgin Records, the last five as President/CEO in 1992, before Russ Thyret brought him in as President of Warner Bros. Records Inc. in 1997.

Quartararo will lead EMI’s sales and catalog marketing divisions, while also will serving as a key advisor in several other areas of the company, including teaching the office commissary chef how to cook a mean linguini vongole.

The L.A.-based exec will report to Munns while learning to replace his diet of Chianti and garlic bread with tea and biscuits.

Said Munns: "Sales, marketing and relationship-building are critical to EMI as we increase our presence in North America, and Phil Q has those qualities in his DNA. His experience and reputation will be extremely helpful in our North American activities. Specifically, because the sales function is driven more and more by marketing and promotion initiatives, I will look to Phil to lead an effort to better integrate our sales division with our record labels’ marketing activities, improve our artist-development performance and build on EMI’s proven expertise in catalog marketing. And he promised to get me a good table at the Ivy."

Added Quartararo: "I’m thrilled to be working with David Munns and delighted to be coming back to the EMI team at a time when the company is being reinvigorated with new management and guided by a clear vision. With its focus solely on music, I believe EMI is in the best position to reinvent the business and deliver great music to consumers in innovative ways. We have an exciting opportunity to take bold steps, fine-tune the organization, boost sales and leverage the industry’s best catalog. You didn’t expect me to live on my AOLTW stock options, did you?"

Quartararo’s arrival comes at a time when EMI N.A.’s Capitol chief Andy Slater enjoys early success with his signing The Vines, while Blue Note’s Bruce Lundvall experiences the left-field breakthrough of Norah Jones, with the help of Virgin.

Quartararo was credited with helping to right the Warner/Reprise ship, following the February 2001 departure of venerable Chairman Thyret. While there, he oversaw the breaking of Linkin Park, the rejuvenation of Enya and, with David Foster, the signing of Josh Groban. He was also responsible for the rebuilding of the company’s promotion departments, headed by WB’s Tom "Grover" Biery and Reprise’s Phil Costello.

Q teamed with Jeff Ayeroff and Jordan Harris to launch Virgin Records America in 1986, six years before Richard Branson sold Virgin’s worldwide record operations to EMI for close to $1 billion.

Before Virgin, he was VP Promotion at Island Records after holding similar posts at RCA, A&M and Arista.