Eric Baptiste Resigns. Jennifer Brown Named Interim SOCAN CEO

By FYI Staff

The Society of Composers, Authors & Music Publishers of Canada announced Tuesday the resignation of Eric Baptiste as the company's chief executive officer, effective immediately.

Jennifer Brown, Senior Vice President Operation & Reproduction Rights, has been appointed to the role of Interim CEO during the formal process of identifying a permanent CEO.

"We thank Eric Baptiste for his leadership over the past 10 years," said Marc Ouellette, President & Chair of SOCAN's Board of Directors. "During this time, SOCAN has seen growth and has maintained its presence as a leader in serving music creators and publishers in Canada and around the world."

With the end of the current CEO contract in 2021, Baptiste "thought it was time to move on" and a mutual decision was reached with the Board to end his tenure now, the PRO stated in a release that went out a half-hour after the staff was notified, at 3:30 pm., Tuesday.

Jennifer Brown has been on SOCAN's executive team for nearly 10 years. She was previously Vice President of the company's Licensing department and has worked with the company for more than two decades.

The PR statement added: "The decision is purely coincidental to the current Covid-19 crisis, and the Board of Directors has full faith in SOCAN's executive management team. The organization continues to operate at full capacity."