TRINK OUT AT CAPITOL, RALFINI IN AS MARKETING CHIEF... FOR NOW

There goes his corner office in the Tower. Maybe someone can turn it into a condo.

Capitol Music Group President Lee Trink confirms that he will be stepping down from his role by the end of this month. The veteran exec can still be reached at his office in the Capitol Tower until then.

Trink was named EVP/GM of Virgin Records America in Dec. 2005 by Chairman/CEO Jason Flom, with whom he'd worked at Lava and Atlantic Records since 1997. Flom named him President of the merged Capitol and Virgin labels, forming the Capitol Music Group, in Jan. 2007

Trink’s entry into the music business was via Track Marketing, where he worked with major corporate sponsors and artists on national tours and music-related promotions. His pre-music business career path included a three-year stint as an Assistant District Attorney in the Kings County District Attorney’s office in Brooklyn, N.Y.

The fate of CMG Chairman/CEO Flom is still up in the air, according to sources.

With the U.S. labels being considered “A&R sources” in EMI chief Guy Hands’ reorganization, they will come under the auspices of President A&R North America and U.K., which means Nick Gatfield will now come to the States next month as the ostensible labels chief.

The company is still searching for an uber-marketing type to oversee that function all EMI North American labels, but until then, Manhattan Records GM and industry vet Ian Ralfini will handle that area for the Capitol Music Group in addition to his current role, reporting to EMI Music Global Marketing President Sam van der Feltz.

Ralfini joined EMI in 2001 to re-launch Manhattan Records along with legendary producer Arif Mardin. Ralfini previously served as President of WEA U.K., working with Neil Young, the Grateful Dead, Jimmy Buffett, the Rolling Stones, Yes and Led Zeppelin. While there, he signed Fleetwood Mac and Rod Stewart and The Faces. He later became owner of the Shelter label, whose roster included Tom Petty, Phoebe Snow and Leon Russell. For several years, he worked as an executive at Atlantic Records under Ahmet Ertegun.

During his tenure at Manhattan Records, Ralfini's succeses include Sarah Brightman, regarded as the world’s best-selling soprano, with 23 million albums sold. He also oversaw the successful Celtic Woman campaign (3 million-plus sold in the U.S.), with an innovative marketing approach which included a global tour and a strategic relationship with PBS.