Denis Handlin leaves Sony Music Australia in shock departure
After 50 years at Sony Music Australia, chairman and CEO Denis Handlin was abruptly removed on Monday morning.
One of the nation’s major music companies is in disarray after the chairman and chief executive of Sony Music Australia, Denis Handlin, was on Monday morning abruptly removed from the record label where he had worked for five decades.
His departure comes at a tumultuous time for Sony Music, which has been forced to bring in investigators to assess claims of bullying and harassment.
Within the domestic music business, Handlin had long been the biggest fish swimming in the pond.
His power, influence and reach had lent him an air of untouchability and he ran the organisation with a reputation for aggressive competitiveness, high expectations of his staff, and assiduous cultivation of powerful figures across media and philanthropy.
Sony’s biggest artists are household names: modern pop stars like Delta Goodrem and Guy Sebastian, established fan favourites such as Midnight Oil and John Farnham, and globally popular younger acts including Tones and I, Gang of Youths and Amy Shark.
At the annual ARIA Awards ceremony, when a Sony artist won, Handlin was inevitably among the first to be thanked and praised.
For the longest time, it seemed unlikely that he would ever leave Sony. But if he did, it would be on his own terms, after a glittering career spent rubbing shoulders with some of the nation’s greatest singers, songwriters and musicians – as well as raising over $36 million for charitable causes through the Sony Foundation he created two decades ago.
Late last year, however, Sony’s platinum-selling pop star Jessica Mauboy left the label for rival Warner Music and dumped her long time manager David Champion, a longtime ally of Handlin.
Three months ago, at an International Women’s Day event in Sydney, Mauboy said she had felt “trapped” at Sony and spoke excitedly of her future at Warner. “In 2020 I took that leap and took back my confidence and my power,” said Mauboy in March.
Her decision to leave Sony was a major blow for Handlin, who had signed the singer when she was 15 years old.
Yet as of Monday afternoon – after the big fish had been unceremoniously gutted via internal email – Sony’s Sydney headquarters had made no public statements regarding the matter, indicating that his departure from the company was sudden and unexpected.
“I am shattered,” Handlin told friends as the entertainment industry reeled from the news – and the expectation more Sony heads will roll in coming days.
When contacted by The Australian on Monday morning, the 70 year-old Handlin said he was unable to comment.
In an all-staff email sent at 10.28am on Monday and seen by The Australian, Sony Music Group’s global chairman, Rob Stringer, wrote, “I am writing to let you know that Denis Handlin will be leaving Sony Music Entertainment after more than 50 years with the company, effective immediately.”
“It is time for a change in leadership and I will be making further announcements in terms of the new direction of our business in Australia and New Zealand in due course.”
“My team and I will be speaking further to your team leaders about this process throughout the week, but at this point I wanted to let everyone know this news at the same time,” wrote Stringer, before thanking Handlin for his “extraordinary contribution” to the company where he had spent five decades of his working life.
In 1984, he was appointed managing director and chief executive of the Australian arm of one of the world’s biggest entertainment companies.
In 1996, he was elevated to the role of chairman, and in 2011 he became president of Sony Music Entertainment Asia. Major global stars including Pink, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen became close associates, and whenever they toured Australia, Handlin would be backstage, pressing the flesh.
One of Sony’s recent domestic success stories is Amy Shark, the pop singer-songwriter who spent years toiling in obscurity on the Gold Coast before she signed with the label, and has since become one of the most popular artists in the country while notching up eight ARIA Awards.
Asked about Handlin’s role in her career, Shark told The Australian late last year, “He’s one of those dudes that doesn’t sleep. Obviously I’m not the only artist at Sony; he throws so much time and energy into people’s projects that most [label] heads wouldn’t give a shit about.”
With a laugh, Shark said, “I think that’s why people are like, ‘Oh my god, Denis Handlin actually cares about this single, this video or this photo shoot?’ And he does. It’s like, how do you have that energy, bro? How do you care this much? It’s crazy.”
In the wake of Handlin’s removal, Sony’s succession plans are unclear.
One of his sons, Pat Handlin, is employed as vice-president of the label’s A&R department, or artist and repertoire, which is responsible for scouting talent.
The Australian understands that more heads will roll within Sony Music Australia, with a confidential investigation into complaints about the company’s workplace culture having shifted overseas to its corporate head office in New York.
Sony’s vice-president of commercial music, Tony Glover, was dismissed in April after an investigation into alleged inappropriate behaviour with a junior colleague. He denies any wrongdoing.
In an internal memo reported by Nine newspapers on Sunday, its global head of human resources, Andrew Davis, wrote to staff: “I want to reiterate that Sony Music does not tolerate harassment, bullying or discrimination in any part of the company.”
“We take seriously and look into all allegations brought to us and have been looking into recent complaints. Given our ongoing inquiries, we are limited in what we can share at this time.
“That said, we are committed to ensuring your workplace is safe and free from unacceptable behaviour.”
There is no suggestion that Handlin’s departure relates to the allegations being investigated.
In 2017, Handlin was recognised as Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to the recording industry through leadership and mentoring young artists, as well as his service to the community through charitable organisations.
In addition to leading Sony, he had been a member of the board at the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) since 1984.
In 2010, Handlin became chairman of the ARIA board, a role he held until Monday.
A spokesperson for the peak industry body declined to comment on how his departure from Sony will affect his role with ARIA, although if he is no longer employed by the record label, then his board position must be untenable.
Do you know more? Email mcmillena@theaustralian.com.au
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