What first led you into entertainment retailing?
A very lucky coincidence actually. I have worked in or around retail in the FMCG and Consumer Electronics sectors for my entire career. Being a huge music fan meant it was too good to be true when an opportunity presented itself to join Deezer. I jumped at the chance.
How long have you been at Deezer and what’s your role?
I am currently the Vice President for Northern and Southern Europe, a role I have held for 18 months. I'm responsible for the Deezer business in Northern and Southern EMEA including the UK, Nordics, Spain, Italy, the Middle East and Africa. I work closely with our partners across the music, telecoms and wider business sectors to grow our business and to bring one of the most innovative and personal music experiences in our industry to more and more people.
What do you love about your job?
The variety and the people. No two days are the same in the music technology business. You get exposed to new artists and constant product and service innovation on an everyday basis. I feel lucky to be working in one of the fastest moving, most diverse and passionate industries in the world.
Describe the Deezer business
Deezer connects 14 million users around the world to 53 million tracks. We're available in over 180 countries worldwide, and give instant access to one the largest and most diverse global music streaming catalogues on any device. Deezer is also the only music streaming service with Flow, the unique mix of all your old favourites and new recommendations in one ever-changing stream. It's based on our own proprietary algorithm, which really was created by a team that loves both music and tech equally, and we are convinced that offers people a unique lean back experience.
What is the main challenge for the entertainment retail industry today?
As with any business in a fast paced changing sector, the main challenge is how to remain relevant to all of your target consumers. This includes targeting people who love to shop online for convenience, to those who still prefer to browse actual products in a shop with welltrained staff who know about the products that they are selling.
Apart from your own, what is your favourite entertainment retailer and why?
I am known for being a big vinyl fan and love nothing more than browsing through records at the local HMV store. Their catalogue is growing and they usually have a great choice of both old and new music. They also offer more specialist heavy vinyl and limited editions that I love to add to my collection.
What was the first ever film and album you owned and where did you buy them?
My first ever game was Lock & Chase (a type of Pac Man game) for the Intellivision games console. As for film, that would have to be a James Bond movie and probably The Spy Who Loved Me. Music album would be Destiny by the Jacksons and I am pretty sure that I bought all of them from HMV.
What non entertainment retailer do you admire and why?
I love shopping in John Lewis for all things from homeware, to technology equipment to clothes. Their range is vast, simply and elegantly displayed and their customer service is second to none. I love their "never knowingly undersold" principle. It is always a pleasure to go to our nearest branch.
You’re stuck in a lift, name the book, album, film, game and person that you would like to have with you.
The book would be Dune by Frank Herbert, I have read it multiple times now and its scale is truly awe inspiring. Playing in the background would have to be Group Therapy by the guys of Above & Beyond and the film would need to be the original Blade Runner. I am a sucker for a good Sci-Fi film. Conversation would have to be with Stephen Hawking discussing how he has been able to overcome such physical odds with the use of technology to continue his amazing work.