Staff were alerted to the dramatic departure of the influential label boss via email from the chairman and CEO of the Sony Music Group Rob Stringer on Monday morning.Stringer told the staff of the Australian arm of the company, which features Delta Goodrem, The Veronicas, Guy Sebastian, Amy Shark and Tones and I on its roster, that it was “time for a change in leadership.” “I am writing to let you that Denis Handlin will be leaving Sony Music Entertainment after more than 50 years with the Company, effective immediately,” Stringer wrote in the email to staff.“It is time for a change in leadership and I will be making further announcements in terms of the new direction of our business in Australia and New Zealand in due course.“My team and I will be speaking further to your team leaders about this process throughout the week, but at this point I wanted to let everyone know this news at the same time.“We thank Denis for his extraordinary contribution to the Company and its artists …”It has been reported the US headquarters of Sony engaged an external counsel to investigate allegations of harassment and bullying after a senior manager was fired earlier this year.There is no suggestion Handlin was involved in any inappropriate behaviour.Handlin was the chairman of the board of ARIA, the industry body which represents Australia’s record labels and stages the annual ARIA Awards.He regularly featured in the top 10 of the annual Power 50 list of the most influential people in the Australian music industry, issued by street press site themusic.com.auHandlin was a fixture backstage at concerts by a raft of global pop and rock stars including Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, P!nk and One Direction.
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