Mumbai: Warner Music International (WMI) has appointed Sam Chen as Chairman and CEO, Warner Music Chinese Mandarin Group.

On this newly created position, Chen will be reporting to Warner Music Asia Pacific president Lachie Rutherford. He will focus on conceiving and implementing business strategies to further strengthen Warner Music’s presence throughout the Taiwanese and Chinese territories.

Chen’s responsibilities will include accelerating the development of the company’s digital operations, partnerships and content for the region. In addition, Chen will oversee A&R activities, bolstering Warner Music’s roster of local artists and furthering its strategy of broadening relationships with artists to include additional revenue streams such as live concerts, merchandising and artist management. Pamela Wang, the division’s General Manager, will report directly to Chen.

In making the announcement, Lachie Rutherford said, "Bringing these two key territories under strong unified management reflects the potential we believe exists in China and Taiwan. Taiwan especially is a key repertoire source whilst the interconnecting Chinese and Taiwanese media means there is huge scope for co-ordinated region-wide campaigns."

Sam Chen added, "I am delighted to be at the helm of Warner Music in China and Taiwan at this exciting time in the evolution of our business. I look forward to working again with Lachie, Pamela and the team as we continue to build on our successes in this dynamic, richly creative region."