RALPH PEER, II
Chair and CEO, peermusic

Ralph Peer, II, Chair and CEO of peermusic, oversees a global network of music publishing companies operating from 35 offices in 28 countries. With well over a quarter of a million titles in the company's catalogue, and songs that vary from country, blues, jazz and pop to Latin, concert and rock 'n' roll, Ralph Peer, II directs the largest privately owned company of its kind in the world.

A respected authority on copyright, Ralph Peer, II is vice president and director of the National Music Publishers' Association (U.S.A.) and the Harry Fox Agency. He is a lifetime director and past president of the Country Music Association and served for many years as a publisher/director of ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers). In the international arena, Peer is immediate past Chairman and vice-President of the Paris-based International Confederation of Music Publishers (ICMP) and was honored at MIDEM 1998 as "Music Maker of the Year." He served for a number of years on the board of MCPS (Mechanical Copyright Protection Society, U.K.).

He is a former Trustee of the Copyright Society of the USA for whom he delivered the 1983 Jean Geiringer lecture in International Copyright Law. In 2001, the American Songwriters Hall of Fame honored him with their music publisher's award.

Peer serves as CEO of digitalpressure.com, Inc., peermusic's digital distribution service. He was a founding director of eMusic, the first record company with a primary focus on the Internet as a platform for the sale and electronic distribution of music and owner of the immensely popular RollingStone.com site.

Peer received his Bachelor's degree from Stanford University and his Master of Business Administration from the Stanford Business School. In 1999, Peer was awarded an honorary doctorate of philosophy from Witten/Herdecke University in Germany.

Mr. Peer is based in San Francisco, California.

BILL GORJANCE
Chief Financial Officer & International VP - Classical

Based in Berkeley, California Bill oversees worldwide finance, strategy and business development, and additionally supports peermusic’s classical music professionals in our New York and Hamburg offices. He came to peermusic in 2006 after 20 years of executive experience in international telecommunications.

Bill has served on the boards of media, music, education and technology organizations, and for years harbored a side career as a chorister with the Seattle Opera, San Francisco Symphony and several chamber groups. He earned his BA and MBA from Harvard University.

KATHY SPANBERGER
President & Chief Operating Officer- peermusic Anglo American Region

Kathy Spanberger, President & Chief Operating Officer, peermusic, is a true innovator who has taken the forward-thinking peermusic brand and expanded the vision to include iconic works from classic singer-songwriters as well as nurturing the growth and development of up-and-coming artists. A recognized leader in the Music Publishing industry, Spanberger is responsible for the firm’s operations in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia.

Under her tutelage, peermusic has acquired several internationally recognized music catalogs that include the works of famed songwriter/producer David Foster (including all of Foster’s songs in Foster Frees Music, Air Bear Music and One Four Three Music), Hoagy Carmichael works (“Georgia on My Mind” and “Stardust”), Malaco Music (“Old Time Rock & Roll”; “Mr. Big Stuff”), Larball Music (“Tie A Yellow Ribbon”), Songcorp (Canada) and Caribbean Waves/Crossing Boarders “CWCB”, home to songs recorded by such artists as Tito Puente, Celia Cruz and Marc Anthony.

“Great music never dies. It simply finds new audiences,” says Spanberger, “I think of peermusic as the company that prides itself on being a songwriter’s best friend, in working with them to continuously seek out new opportunities and explore endless possibilities.” The success of the company owes much of its growth to Spanberger’s tenacity as well as her management style, which is simply to “hire the right people, let them do their job, take chances and flourish at what they do “

Under her direction, peermusic is working an extraordinarily wide range of artists from around the world including Molotov (Universal), Victor Manuelle (Sony/BMG Norte), Tragically Hip (Canadian music icons), Chayanne (Sony), Esther Dean (writer of “Rude Boy” and “S&M”/Rihanna; “Firework”/Katy Perry), Traci Hale (writer of “What’s My Name”/ Rihanna), Vicki McGeeHee (Nashville songwriter/acquisition – “Wildflower,” “It’s Just That Way”), Choquibtown (Latin Grammy Award Winners), Glori Trevi (Universal), Anahii (EMI), Carolina La O, Horoscopos de Durango (Universal) Camera Can’t Lie (Word/Atlantic), Victor Manuelle, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Uno (Universal), Steve Mac (UK), Adam Argyle (UK), Renee Cassar (Australia and US), Hawksley Workman (artist/writer in Canada) and Kathleen Edwards (Concord Records, artist/writer in Canada). Peermusic also controls the catalogs of artists Juanes, (Universal), Tricky Stewart, Redzone Entertainment and Jason Ingram (SESAC 2007 Christian Songwriter of the Year).

Spanberger is active in a number of industry organizations and is a former President of the Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP). She has also served on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).

Born in New York City, Spanberger cannot remember a time when she did not want to work in the music business. She moved to Los Angeles with her family at the age of eleven. Her father was West Coast Advertising Director for Billboard Magazine and after graduating from UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Spanberger began working at peermusic. She served as Managing Director of peermusic, Australia, and then returned to Los Angeles as General Manager for the United States.

Spanberger became Vice President of peermusic's U.S. companies a short time thereafter. She was named Senior Vice President of peermusic's U.S. operations in 1993, supervising the staffs at peermusic's New York, Los Angeles and Nashville offices, and overseeing the activities of peermusic's U.S. Latin music division, including the opening of a new Miami office. In 1995, Kathy was named Chief Operating Officer of peermusic North America, which added the territory of Canada to her slate of responsibilities. In 2000 she was promoted to President of the same companies, and in 2003 the United Kingdom came under her aegis.

MICHAEL KARNSTEDT
Chairman-peermusic Europe

After joining Peer in 1966, as Assistant to the Copyright Manager, Michael worked his way up the managerial ladder, culminating in his appointment as European President in 1991. Active in many areas of the business, Michael is also an officer and board member of the German Music Publishers Association (DMV). In this function he holds the position of treasurer and chairman of the soundcarrier committee. He is board member of ICMP and was elected deputy member of the board of GEMA in 2000. In 2003 he was elected as full member to GEMA's board of supervisors.

NIGEL ELDERTON
President, Europe & Managing Director, peermusic U.K.

London-based Nigel Elderton is President of peermusic Europe and Managing Director of peermusic U.K.

Nigel joined peermusic London in November 1991 having previously worked for Chappell’s, EMI Music Publishing and Polygram Music where he was Professional Manager and headed up their Sync Licensing Division. Nigel has served the British music industry in numerous positions including Chairman of the Music Publishers Association (2008-2011), Chairman of the MCPS (2010 -), Director of PRS (1994 -), The Alliance Board, and UK Music. Nigel was also a founding Trustee of The Performing Right Society Foundation.

In 2005 Nigel was presented with the prestigious Golden Badge Award in acknowledgement of his outstanding contribution to the UK music industry by BASCA (British Academy of Songwriters, Composers & Authors).

MANOEL PINTO
Managing Director, Brazil Office

A publisher and producer of numerous Brazilian albums, Pinto has been with Peermusic since 1970. His work has placed peermusic Do Brazil in the number one position as the best independent Brazilian music publisher. He has created countless hits for musicians like Chitaozinho & Xororo, Zezé Di Camargo, Luciano and Xuxa, among others. His production of the latter's hit "Ilarié" sold more than 3 million copies in Brazil alone. Manoel is presently producing platinum-sales acts like Rick & Renner and Daniel, who sells more than 1,000,000 copies per record. Manoel is the President of ABEM (the Brazilian performance Society), having held this position for five consecutive terms.

RAFA AGUILAR GRABOWSKI
President, Latin Region

President since January, 2003, and Managing Director of peermusic Española and peermusic de Portugal, Aguilar is a "young veteran" of the music industry. He was graduated in Sciences of Information (Ciencias de la Información), specifically in Advertising and Public Relations (Publicidad y Relaciones Públicas) from Universidad Complutense of Madrid, Spain. After playing in different local Pop & Rock bands he worked for different well known music publishing companies such as Emi Music Publishing, independent Publisher Bocaccio Ediciones, and Warner Chappell, where he was in charge of the International Creative department. He started at peermusic in September, 1995, as International Creative Manager and was appointed Managing Director in March, 1999. In 2001 his responsibilities were expanded as he became Latin American Regional Director. He´s currently board member of SGAE (Collecting Society of Spain) representing the publishers.