Kobalt promotes Paul Hitchman to President role

Kobalt Label Services International has promoted its Managing Director Paul Hitchman to President.

The appointment is due to continued expansion of services and increases in clientele and sales.

Accommodating the growth further is the appointment of Vincent Clery-Melin as Managing Director of KLS UK. Adding to his role as the Managing Director of AWAL, Clery-Melin is set to head up the Label Services team in the UK, overseeing the marketing over releases in the region.

Further responsibilities undertaken by Clery Malin include the signing of new clients to KLS, along with the identifying and signing of clientele to AWAL’s worldwide digital distribution services.

Pete Dodge has been appointed VP, KLS Operations and Distribution from his former position as General Manager of KLS. Dodge will oversee KLS’ global digital distribution platform and digital account management, as well as its relationships with physical distribution partners internationally and the physical product supply chain.

Both Clery-Melin and Dodge will be reporting to Hitchman.

Hitchman said in a statement: “Vincent and Pete have both made huge contributions to the success of KLS and I’m delighted to see them in these new roles as we continue to expand both our team and our services.”

Vincent Clery-Merlin commented: “It’s a real honour to be heading up such a fantastic team, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with Paul to offer a first-class service to KLS and AWAL clients.”

Pete Dodge added: “It is very satisfying to be creating a global infrastructure that supports both digital and physical releases at the highest level, and to offer a truly viable and progressive alternative to the traditional labels.

KLS’ full-service model sees artists retain master ownership and has continued to attract significant talents. Recent signings include Lenny Kravitz, David Gray, Billy Idol, Die Antwoord, Karen O, Kele Okereke and Macy Gray.