SANTA MONICA (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Larry Kenswil has been promoted to the newly-minted position of EVP of Business Strategy at Universal Music Group the company announced on Wednesday.
Previously, Kenswil headed up the eLabs Unit which was tasked with electronic commerce initiatives, Internet exploitation, and developing new technology business opportunities worldwide.
In his new position, Kenswil will be overseeing content protection/DRM as well as efforts to stem music piracy in both the real world with bootleg CDs and on the net.
"I look forward to the new responsibilities that will continue to allow me to play a vital role in the evolving digital landscape while also giving me the opportunity for a broader role in helping shape the growth of UMG in the years to come," Kenswil said.
Some industry analysts see the move as a response to rival EMI's recent action which have been indicating that the company is moving away from DRM schemes. Kenswil is on the board at RIAA and is considered to be strongly in favor of DRM so don't expect DRM-free music to issue forth from UMG any time soon. – CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
