SAMRO appoints Annabell Lebethe as new CEO

Lebethe will take over from outgoing CEO Mark Rosin, who was appointed as CEO and turnaround strategist in February 2020.

SAMRO chairperson Nicholas Maweni said Lebethe was appointed following a long and exhaustive search by the SAMRO board and that the organisation was confident that she possesses the right qualities and experience to lead it into the future.

Prior to her appointment, Lebethe served as CEO of Ditsong Museums of South Africa, a group of eight museums that falls under the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. She also previously held the position of interim CEO of the Performing Arts Centre of the Free State, CEO of the Market Theatre Foundation and CEO of the National Arts Council of South Africa, in addition to several other leadership roles during her career.

“I spent most of my professional life in the arts and entertainment sector, so I am looking forward to being a part of an organisation that is central to and impactful on the careers of composers in our country,” Lebethe said. “SAMRO is essentially part of the lifeblood that keeps the creativity of our composers alive, allowing them to add to the already rich heritage of South Africa.”

Maweni thanked Rosin for his immense efforts and contribution and wished him well in his future endeavours.

“Mark and the board of SAMRO have done an excellent job during his tenure, placing SAMRO firmly on the road to success and creating a foundation on which future success can be built,” he said.

Improving stakeholder relations

Maweni said Rosin, during his tenure, worked very hard to lower SAMRO’s cost to income ratio, broaden the organisation’s revenue streams and improve operational efficiencies, while also strengthening relations between the CMO and its members.

“SAMRO has already achieved the enviable distinction of being recognised as the leading collective management organisation in Africa. We want to use our solid foundation to build further success and thus cement our position as the best CMO in the region.”

One of SAMRO’s immediate goals, Maweni said, was to work towards entrenching its position as a member-centric organisation that prioritises the interests and concerns of its members, ensuring that music creators are compensated fairly for their work.

“As Annabell takes over the reins, we are satisfied that SAMRO is now firmly positioned to create more value for the creators and users of music.  The organisation has a solid foundation for achieving its long-term goals, most notably to reach R1 billion in revenue target by 2025.”

Driving transformation

Maweni said the SAMRO board took a bold step in advancing the transformation agenda by appointing a capable woman to lead the organisation.

“Appointing a female CEO speaks to the fact that SAMRO is serious about driving its transformation agenda and the move is also in line with SAMRO’s continuous efforts to empower women, not only within the South African music industry, but in society as a whole.”

However, Maweni emphasised that the board hired Lebethe not simply based on her gender, but because she has the right skills, experience, and proven track record as a leader.

“We can be confident that we are now on the path to a better future, as Annabell brings with her a wealth of experience and skills, not just as a leader, but also as someone who has spent most of her career in the creative sector and can thus leverage her vast expertise to lead SAMRO into the future.”