2025 APRA Publisher election candidates
Andrew Jenkins, Universal Music Publishing Group Australia (Incumbent Director)
BIOGRAPHY
President, Australia and Asia Pacific Region, for Universal Music Publishing Group, Andrew has been a board member since 2019. He is also a founding board member of global music publisher organisation, IMPA. He is a former Chair of ICMP and is currently President d’Honneur of that international publisher association.
Andrew’s music business career over the last 45 years has taken him from the UK to Australia working for Polygram, Polydor Records, BMG Music Publishing and now Universal Music Publishing. He is passionate about the rights of songwriters and artists and those who invest in their talent.
Andrew has worked with the Bee Gees, Tom Waits, The Cure, Van Morrison, and The Who to name but a few.
ELECTION STATEMENT
I bring a uniquely experienced, passionate and truly global perspective to the APRA Board.
For 12 years I worked in records at Polydor/PolyGram in London. 14 years at BMG Music Publishing followed where as President of International I ran our offices for the World excluding North America. Now it is 19 years with Universal running our offices in Asia (12 offices in 11 countries), Africa, MENA, and Australia/New Zealand, plus global industry and society affairs.
In 2016 I relocated to Sydney, and with Brett Cottle, established the Asia Hub which has provided massive benefits for APRA and AMCOS members, by reducing increasing revenues and reducing commission rates, roughly modelled on my European Regional hub deal with SACEM in 2008
Much of my 45 years in the business has been spent working directly with songwriters and artists in all the countries I have been involved with.
Not looking backwards and not slowing down, I believe my greatest contributions to our industry are still to come.
I hope to have your support in the upcoming elections as I want APRA to become even better than it thinks it can be.
Craig Monagle, Warner Chappell Music Australia
BIOGRAPHY
Craig is the Director & Financial Controller of Warner Chappell Music Australia, serving on the AMCOS board and as Director and Company Secretary of AMPAL. He also previously served as Alternate Director on the APRA board.
Prior to joining Warner Chappell, Craig had a career in public accounting and business advisory services. He is a CPA, and holds an Honours degree in Law, a Commerce degree and post-graduate qualifications in both Law and Accounting.
In his role at Warner Chappell, Craig is responsible for representing a diverse range of songwriters, from Australian icons such as previous members of Little River Band and Australian Crawl, to current cultural exports Tones & I and Vance Joy and global acts such as Zach Bryan and Dua Lipa.
ELECTION STATEMENT
APRA has made great leaps in recent years. Acceleration of payments, ongoing expansion of multi-territory licensing and continuous improvements to the portals to name a few. However, this is not a finish line, but the establishment of a sound foundation for development and allowing APRA to seize on further opportunities.
I am committed to questioning the status quo, how we can improve the services, remuneration and advocacy for our members. As we operate in an increasingly global competitive environment, we must proactively address new challenges such as the licensing of AI and other emerging digital channels.
In the time I’ve been involved in the music industry I’ve gained enormous respect for the songwriters and publishers and the contributions they make to our culture. I will fiercely advocate for the ongoing defence of and maximisation of value of exploitation of copyright for the benefit of every member.
My professional background as a CPA and my role as Director & Financial Controller at Warner Chappell is essential as APRA continues to scale and reinvent itself. I will fill a critical gap on the board, bringing specialised insights in finance, regulatory compliance, data and technology management and governance to strengthen the board’s capacity.
Theo Seffusatti, Heard & Seen Publishing
BIOGRAPHY
Theo Seffusatti has 23 years of international experience working across Copyright, Royalties, A&R, Sync and Legal/Business Affairs including founding Warp Publishing, creating a leading independent music publishing company with offices in London and Los Angeles, which won Publisher of the Year at the 2025 Libera Awards.
In 2002, he joined Warp Records in London and became successively Head of Royalties, Business Affairs and Sync. He then set up the sister publishing company Warp Publishing, with direct membership of 18 collection societies and a network of 10 sub-publishing partners, building a roster including Slowdive, PVT, Nightmares on Wax, Khruangbin, Death Grips, Danny Brown, Boards of Canada, Dry Cleaning, Tinariwen and songwriting credits including Fred Again, Lorde, PinkPantheress, Björk, Jay-Z, Coldplay, and The Weeknd.
He relocated to Aotearoa New Zealand in 2022, continues as Managing Director of Warp Publishing, and co-founded Heard & Seen Publishing in NZ, joining APRA, AMCOS and AMPAL. The NZ roster currently represents over 20 artists including Silver Scroll Award Winning screen composers Karl Steven, Arli Liberman and Grayson Gilmour and songwriters Erny Belle, Ariana Tikao, LEAO, Theia and Rob Thorne.
He holds an MSc Law and Economics from Mines Paris Tech.
ELECTION STATEMENT
It would be an honour to be appointed, to bring my extensive international experience to complement the rich local knowledge of others.
I have worked in the UK, US and France for 23 years, founding and developing two publishing companies, with 17 years as a direct member of 18 collection societies worldwide.
I am in touch with my European and American counterparts daily, and travel extensively to support them, so we can respond quickly to evolving trends in our industry.
I co-founded Heard & Seen Publishing to champion and support the amazing talent of local writers here and globally. I am also on a 3-year journey learning te reo Māori—the Māori language.
The key benefits I would seek for all members would be:
- defending copyright;
- increasing royalties;
- distributing fairly with full transparency.
I would be honoured to use these experiences and skills for the benefit of APRA members.
I acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Custodians of Country throughout Australia and pay my respects to them, their Culture and their Elders past, present and future. I also acknowledge Māori as tangata whenua and treaty of Waitangi partners in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Damian Trotter, Sony Music Publishing Australia (Incumbent Director)
BIOGRAPHY
Damian is the Managing Director of Sony Music Publishing Australia, has served on the Board since 2000 and is the current Deputy Chair. He is also a Director and former Chair of the AMCOS Board and a Director of AMPAL.
Damian has been with Sony since the company re-started its publishing arm in 1992. Following the merger of Sony Music Publishing with EMI Music Publishing in 2012, he was appointed Managing Director of the combined publishing companies. He began his music industry career in 1981 at CBS Records.
During his career at Sony, Damian has worked with many of Australia’s most important and successful writers/artists such as Midnight Oil, Tame Impala, Sarah Aarons, Paul Kelly, Cold Chisel, Gurrumul, Angus & Julia Stone, Silverchair, Paul Kelly, AC/DC, Thelma Plum, Sarah Blasko, 5 Seconds Of Summer, AB Original and Alex Hope as well as emerging stars of the future like King Stingray, May-A, Sycco, Electric Fields and Barkaa to name a few.
ELECTION STATEMENT
Damian has a long-established commitment to the Australian music industry, proudly promoting our local artists and songwriters locally and internationally with a particular passion for supporting and helping to amplify the voices of our First Nations people.
He has dedicated the last 30+ years to protecting the rights and advocating on behalf of both songwriters and music publishers and, as head of the largest Music Publishing company in the country, to the development of emerging talent within both the business side of the industry as well as within the artist/songwriting community.
