KATOVSKY NAMED HIPGNOSIS COO/PREZ

Hipgnosis has appointed Ben Katovsky as COO and president of Hipgnosis Song Management Limited. He'll report directly to CEO/founder Merck Mercuriadis in the London office.

Katovsky will steer Hipgnosis’ song-management teams, maximize opportunities for administered catalogs and lead strategic initiatives like the development of Hipgnosis’ proprietary technology and data platform.

HSM has acquired and manages some 150 catalogs with a net asset value of more than $3 billion, including key works by Nile Rodgers, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, Chrissie Hynde, Journey, Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac, Kenny Chesney, Shakira and Justin Timberlake.

"We’ve had an incredible four years at Hipgnosis Song Management, but we are still only just beginning," reads a quote from Merck that continues for another 18 pages. "I don’t believe there is anyone better than Ben Katovsky to help us reach the goals we've set. He has the qualities of leadership, innovation and ambition and believes in our mission to establish song management as the new paradigm while at the same time using our success to advocate for songwriters. I am delighted to welcome him to the Hipgnosis family and look forward to a long, rewarding relationship."

In a related story, a trove of photos that feature Merck smiling was moved to a top-secret underground bunker.