SALLEN TAPPED AS BMG/PRIMARY WAVE COO

As we told you he would, Ira Sallen has been tapped as COO for the BMG/Primary Wave Label Services joint venture.

Sallen was appointed to the post by PW Founder/CEO Larry Mestel, to whom he’ll report. His duties will include business development and acquisitions, acting as a liaison between BMG and PW, and helping Hartwig Masuch bone up on his Yiddish.

The veteran exec spent more than 20 years in the BMG system, starting as VP of Human Resources for International, then EVP for the overall company, remaining in the latter role after the merger with Sony. He helped recruit Simon Cowell to the company and played a role in the formation of SYCO and other Cowell-related projects, worked with Clive Davis and Charles Goldstuck on merging J Records with RCA and on the formation of BMG North America, and worked with L.A. Reid during his transition from LaFace to CEO of Arista.

Sallen departed BMG in 2009 to join media-oriented executive search and consulting firm WTW Associates, but continued to serve BMG in a consulting capacity.

Mestel described Sallen, whom he’s known for 14 years, as “a natural fit” for his new role at the JV, which hopes to assist artists with established fan bases and track records to navigate the changing times. Sallen noted that he was “thrilled to have the opportunity to work again with Larry and the BMG/Primary Wave team.”