SoundExchange Appoints Helaine S. Klasky as Chief Communications Officer

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- SoundExchange today announced the appointment of Helaine S. Klasky as chief communications officer, a move that reflects the company's expanding role in shaping the future of the music industry. Klasky will report to SoundExchange President and CEO Michael Huppe.

Klasky brings to SoundExchange an exceptional balance of experience in both the public and private sectors. She was previously the chair of Burson-Marsteller's U.S. public affairs and crisis practice, the chief communications officer at GE Energy Management, and the chief communications officer at Yale University. In government, Klasky has served as deputy assistant secretary for public affairs at the U.S. department of the Treasury, as deputy assistant U.S. trade representative for public affairs, and ran the office of media affairs at the U.S. department of State.  She began her career on Capitol Hill working for Senators Edward Kennedy and Dennis DeConcini.

"As SoundExchange enters a new stage of growth across the music and publishing industries, Helaine is the perfect fit to help take the company to the next level," said Huppe. "Her broad range of skills and experience at the highest levels of corporate and government arenas will enable SoundExchange to be an even more effective advocate for creators, publishers and the music industry as a whole."

SoundExchange plays a critical role in the business of music, distributing royalties to many creator groups, advocating for fair pay across all platforms, and developing solutions that support accuracy and transparency in royalty payments for the entire industry. SoundExchange subsidiaries SXWorks and CMRRA provide administration and related services to music publishers.

"I look forward to working with colleagues at SoundExchange and throughout the industry as we work together to further simplify the industry and enable creators to do what they do best: transform us with their music and creativity," said Klasky. "As a company that has helped make music accessible to so many, SoundExchange is poised to help further transform the industry. I'm thrilled to be joining that mission."

As chief communications officer, Klasky will oversee the company's global communications, industry relations, and public policy teams that serve the company's community of 178,000 artists, rights holders and publishers.

About SoundExchange
SoundExchange manages sound recording and music works rights across the entire music industry. The organization collects and distributes digital performance royalties on behalf of more than 170,000 recording artists and master rights owners accounts and administers direct agreements on behalf of rights owners and licensees. To date, SoundExchange has paid out more than $5 billion in royalties. SXWorks, a SoundExchange subsidiary created with the acquisition of the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency Ltd. (CMRRA), provides global administration and support services to music publishers. For more information, visit www.SoundExchange.com or https://sx-works.com

SOURCE SoundExchange