EVP, Human Resources, Warner Music International
As a member of WMG’s senior management team, Maria (Masha) Osherova oversees all aspects of human resources functions across the globe. She joined Warner in 2006 as VP Human Resources for WMI, based in London. After being upped to SVP of the department, Osherova played a pivotal role in integrating Parlophone Label Group, which was acquired in 2013.
The gender pay gap—which is the difference between average hourly earnings for men and women at U.K. companies with 250 employees and over (published for the first time as per Government rules)—was a hot topic earlier this year. Warner’s was a concerning 49%, and Osherova tells us the label is working hard to make improvements.
“Our gap is driven by lack of women at the top of the organisation, so we are really very focused on promotional and developmental opportunities for our most talented women, and also actively seeking out senior external talent when we have a role to fill,” she explains. “We are making good progress there. Furthermore, we are addressing our policies in relation to the parental leave to ensure that our employees can combine career progression with looking after family. The ideal gap would be to have no gap at all and, ultimately, we are working towards that. We are very focused on the right actions and also measuring our progress, but it is important to remember that this is not a sprint; even with the high level of dedication we have on this, the right changes will take time.”
Pay gap aside, from where she sits, the future of the British music industry looks creatively diverse. “The streaming world has broken down geographical barriers and I believe the industry will therefore deliver even wider and more diverse artistic talent, obviously important for our global culture. The British music industry will further embrace the need to accelerate the pace of change, including becoming more diverse, serving both artists and fans. I am hoping the music industry can be a beacon on this for global business, rather than having to play catch-up.”
According to Osherova, the most exciting thing about working at Warner right now is the investment in top-level executive talent. “We are currently ensuring Warner Music can continue to attract and retain the best people with skills at all levels,” she says. “We are also very focused on our existing leadership team’s further development, and giving the right support to the leaders of tomorrow because great leadership drives everything else in the business.”
