Sony Ericsson Hits the Right Notes

BY JOACHIM BAMRUD

Minoru Itaya doesnt seem like your typical record industry executive. First of all, hes spent most of his career in technology. Second, he heads up Latin America division of Japanese-Swedish wireless phone producer Sony Ericsson.

Yet, for all practical purposes, Itaya is now one of the most important music industry executives in Latin America.

Thanks to the Japanese executive, artists like Ricky Martin, Robbie Williams, Alejandro Saenz and Julieta Venegas have sold hundreds of thousands more CDs than they normally would. In the case of Venegas - a hugely popular artist in Mexico - she sold an additional half a million CDs.

Itayas role? As head of Sony Ericsson in Latin America he has spearheaded the phone producers innovative strategy ...