Lou Ragagnin Named Re:Sound President and CEO

By FYI Staff

 Re:Sound’s Board of Directors has named CPA Sr. VP Lou Ragagnin as the organization’s incoming President and CEO. He replaces Ian MacKay, who announced his intention to resign in September of last year after leading the org for the past 11 years.

At Chartered Professional Accountants Canada, Ragagnin was overseeing strategic planning and related processes, as well as overall business operations.

His experience includes ole Media Management (now Anthem Entertainment Group), where he served as Chief Operating Officer for more than three years, as well as similar executive roles with the 100^th Grey Cup Game and Festival, and the Canadian Olympic Committee. Ragagnin holds the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) designation. He began his career at KPMG LLP.

Ragagnin’s leadership includes his recent appointment to the National Capital Commission (NCC) board of directors. He has also served on several not for profit boards such as ParticipAction , Athletics Canada, Special Olympics Foundation and the Canadian Sport Institute - Ontario in a volunteer capacity.

“Lou brings exceptional strategic capabilities and experience across a range of industries which will be valuable assets to Re:Sound as we move forward,” said Anthony Ariganello, Chairperson of Re:Sound’s Board of Directors. “His agility, familiarity with all aspects of the business, and his strong track record of delivering positive business results are a great fit.”

At Re:Sound, Ragagnin will manage day-to-day operations, oversee the executive team on new and ongoing projects, and identify priorities and strategies in collaboration with Re:Sound’s member organizations. Its member organizations are ACTRA RACS, Artisti, MROC, CONNECT, SOPROQ, Sony Music Entertainment Canada, Universal Music Canada and Warner Music Canada.

“Performance royalties make a meaningful difference in the lives of music creators. I’m thrilled to join an organization with such a vital role in the Canadian music ecosystem and look forward to working with the Re:Sound team and board, and to contributing more broadly to the music industry in Canada,” Ragagnin said in a statement Thursday.

Ragagnin begins at Re:Sound on May 19, and will be based at the firm’s Bay St. head-office in Toronto. In the interim, Arif Ahmad, Vice-President Legal Affairs and General Counsel, will serve as Acting President.

About Re:Sound

The not-for-profit collective licenses recorded music to businesses across many industries, including radio stations, satellite radio, digital music services, nightclubs, bars, restaurants, fitness centres and retail establishments. The royalties that are collected from licence fees are distributed to recording artists and record labels that create the music that is used by these businesses.