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FYI

Rob Segal Named Partner/President Of Expansionist TFA

As part of a blueprint to expand and diversify its portfolio of services, TFA has aggressively moved into programming, licensing and event services. Segal (pictured) will enhance this strategy.

Rob Segal Named Partner/President Of Expansionist TFA

By David Farrell

One would have thought that the pandemic would have knocked the wind out of the talent booking business but, surprisingly, the opposite occurred and The Feldman Agency (TFA) is living proof of this.


As part of a blueprint to expand and diversify its portfolio of services, the company has aggressively moved into programming, licensing and event services.

TFA owners Jeff Craib and Tom Kemp, along with VP Joel Baskin, used the two-year lockdown to their advantage, remodelling the company to be an integrated full-service entertainment agency that represents artists but adding new divisions, including the live entertainment company-Tourbo, and ACE Events (Artists, Creativity, Experience) a co-venture with Live Nation providing full-service live entertainment talent programming and production services to clients.

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To add firepower to TFA’s arsenal, Craib –recently named a 2023 Billboard International Power Player – has taken on the mantle of Chairman of the firm, and brought in marketing and communications champ Rob Segal as partner and president.

Segal’s background is impressive–– over 20 years of experience in spearheading successful campaigns for global brands and then founding his own agency, Segal Communications, that became one of Canada’s largest promotional and licensing agencies with blue chip clients that included Sony, Ford, Marvel, HP, DreamWorks, TD Canada Trust, Unilever, 20th Century Fox, and Virgin Mobile.

Segal has cred, he has a platinum Rolodex of contacts, and he knows how to structure deals that work for everyone.

The updated TFA executive suite, with Craib and Segal, is as follows:  Tom Kemp - Sr VP, Joel Baskin – VP, Steven Himmelfarb – VP, Olivia Ootes - VP Ops; Nick Hodge - head of Partnerships, and Kathleen Reid – MD and agent.

As per Segal, Craib stated, “We are thrilled to have Rob join The Feldman Agency team. He has incredible business acumen and an impeccable track record for creating unforgettable marketing campaigns. His fresh perspective and the ability to forge key strategic partnerships are all the things we need to complement our existing team and bring opportunities to our clients, as we create a new foundation for the future.”

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Separately, TFA has signed a global licensing deal with Lynyrd Skynyrd, to license and sell the band’s merchandise. Several other deals are pending.

Segal is based in TFA’s Toronto office and can be reached at rob@feldman-agency.com 

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Bill Gilliland

Bill Gilliland

FYI

Obituaries: Toronto Record Label Pioneer Bill Gilliland, Global Music Trailblazer Dan Storper of Putumayo

This week we also acknowledge the passing of Sugar Hill Records owner Barry Poss, and top U.S. booking agent Dave Shapiro and former drummer Daniel Williams, who both died in a tragic plane crash.

Bill (William) Gilliland, a Toronto record label head, producer and music entrepreneur, died on May 17, at age 88.

An official death notice called him "a visionary force in Canadian music. A true architect of the country’s music landscape, Bill’s career spanned more than four decades, shaping the sounds of generations and launching the careers of many iconic artists."

Gilliland first made a mark with Arc Records, a subsidiary of Arc Sound Company Ltd. that was established in Toronto in 1958 by Philip G. Anderson. Gilliland and Anderson co-founded Arc Records in 1959 and purchased the Precision Pressing Co. in 1961. Under the direction of Anderson, its president, and vice president Gilliland, Arc Records entered into a contract with US Hit Records and released a series of pop singles albums under the name Hit Parade (1963–64) that specialized in regional artists and tribute albums.

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