MUNNS’ THE WORD
Bon Jovi, Helen Reddy and…Kraftwerk?
We’re glad you asked. Munns is the newly named Vice Chairman of EMI Recorded Music, with special responsibility for global marketing and human resources. His career began at EMI in 1972. After rising through various marketing posts, including product manager (one of his projects was Wings’ first album), Munns was given responsibility for the U.K. marketing of non-U.K. acts such as Dr. Hook, Kraftwerk and Helen Reddy—though he was unsuccessful in getting the three to tour together. In 1979, he moved to EMI Canada, where he oversaw all label operations except for A&R.
His relationship with new EMI boss Alain Levy dates back to the pair’s tenure at PolyGram, which Munns joined in 1984 as Managing Director of Polydor U.K., where he tripled the label’s revenue and worked with the Cure, the Bee Gees, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Van Morrison—though he was unsuccessful in getting the four to tour together.
In 1991, he was promoted to Sr. VP Pop Marketing, with worldwide responsibility for all frontline records. From the time PolyGram went public in 1989 to Levy and Munns’ departures in 1998, the company’s marketshare rose from 12.5% to 17.5%, making it the #1 record company in the world. Its market capitalization grew fourfold during the same period, from $2.5 billion to $10.4 billion. Additionally, the pair grew the music-operating margin from 12% to 15%.
From 1994-99, Munns was a board director for Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group, an entertainment company that includes IT Records and interests in theater, film, television, video/concert productions, merchandising, magazine publishing and music publishing.
Munns has managed Bon Jovi for the past two years. In 2000, he was named to the board of directors at Peter Gabriel’s OD2, a European online music distributor.
