Universal Music Group’s (UMG’s) leading merchandise and brand management company, Bravado, announced today that veteran industry executive and Epic Rights co-founder Jesper Poulsen has been named general manager.
Poulsen joins Bravado’s executive management team and will play an integral role in continuing to develop the company’s global merchandise strategy in the everchanging landscape of the music and fashion industries. He will oversee day-to-day operations of both Bravado and Epic Rights. Poulsen is based in Los Angeles and reports to Bravado’s president, Matt Young.
Matt Young says: “As we continue to execute our global brand strategy, aligning the power of Epic Rights more closely with Bravado exponentially enhances the reach, capabilities, and depth of how we service our artists and their fans around the world. Jesper has a wealth of experience and his leadership across the Bravado ecosystem will only supercharge our capabilities.”
Poulsen adds: “I want to thank Richelle Parham and UMG’s leadership team, Matt Young, and, of course, the team at Epic Rights, for this opportunity. Having been mentored by Dell Furano, I’m proud to continue to evolve what we started almost 10 years ago with Kym Furano and Phil Cussen. It’s an honour to work with so many incredible artists and their teams to reach their fans all over the world. It’s an exciting time to be in the artist services business and look forward to what’s ahead.”
Poulsen’s career in artist brand development, consumer products and fan experiences started at Signatures Network, where he supported the company’s growing wholesale business and digital strategy. In 2008, through acquisition, he joined Live Nation Merchandise where he held the position of Brand Manager, helping oversee relationships such as KISS, Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Led Zeppelin, and ZZ Top. In 2014, Poulsen, together with Dell Furano, Kym Furano and Phil Cussen, launched merchandise and branding company, Epic Rights.
Bravado acquired Epic Rights in 2019 with a roster that includes KISS, AC/DC, Def Leppard, David Bowie, John Lennon, Aerosmith, Bob Dylan and the Woodstock Festival among others. Poulsen in his new role will maintain the individual brand identities of both Epic Rights and Bravado, supervising the expert teams of both divisions.
