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read moreFollowing the announcement of stadium tours for Ed Sheeran and Foo Fighters, leading Australia and New Zealand concert promoter, Frontier Touring, has unveiled a new leadership structure for the company.
The new structure has been created to ensure the legacy, mission, and culture of Frontier is preserved and nurtured following the passing of its founder Michael Gudinski in March last year.
Frontier’s Executive team will be comprised of four members of the current leadership team, all of whom are elevated to new roles within the company: Dion Brant as Chief Executive, Susan Heymann as Chief Operating Officer, Reegan Stark as Chief Marketing and Communications Officer and Andrew Spencer as Chief Commercial Officer.
The Executive team will report to the Frontier Touring Board, comprised of Jay Marciano (Chairman and Chief Executive, AEG Presents and Chief Operating Officer, Office of the Chairman, AEG), Matt Gudinski (Chairman and Chief Executive, Mushroom Group), Adam Wilkes (President and CEO, AEG Presents Asia Pacific) and Dion Brant (Chief Executive , Frontier Touring) while Adam Wilkes will assume the role of Frontier Touring Chairman.
Announcing the new structure, Matt Gudinski stated “I couldn’t be happier announcing our new Frontier Executive team. Mushroom Group is built on our great people, which is something we've always valued first and foremost.
“I’m thrilled that moving forward Frontier will be led by four incredibly dedicated, experienced, and strong leaders in Dion, Reegan, Susan, and Spence, working closely with myself, Adam, and the AEG Presents team. Frontier was founded on strong relationships, an artist-first approach and a never-ending passion for music and I know Dad’s legacy and the future of Frontier is in safe hands. There are exciting times ahead for the company.”
Marciano noted “Michael Gudinski was a man of endless passion, energy, and creativity, with an innate sense for the business, and it was clear no one person could replace him.
“All of us who worked together on this new structure were bound by the same sense of duty: we’re committed to properly and thoroughly stewarding Michael’s vision for the future of Frontier.”
Adam Wilkes
The new structure sees Wilkes move to the role of Chairman of the Frontier Board in conjunction with his role as President and Chief Executive, AEG Presents Asia Pacific, a position he has held since 2016.
Bringing over two decades of experience in the Asia Pacific market to his new duties within the Frontier Touring Leadership team, Wilkes oversees AEG’s concert touring, sports and venue development business - spanning 15 countries throughout Asia and the Pacific Rim – and played a key role in forming the joint venture between AEG Presents and Frontier Touring.
Commenting on his role, Wilkes notes “Frontier Touring has an incredible team of some of the most talented individuals in our business.
“I know we all would have preferred not to have to make this announcement given the circumstances surrounding it, but everyone who knew and loved Michael also knows what his company and its continued success meant to him and we’re proud to be working with Matt, Dion and the broader team to deliver Michael’s vision for the future. Our mission is to maintain
Frontier’s dominance as the market leader, and we’re looking ahead to a bright horizon for the live event business. In addition, AEG Presents’ expanded partnership with Frontier combined with its presence throughout APAC provides us the opportunity to more closely align our businesses across Australia, New Zealand and Asia.”
Dion Brant
Brant will move to the role of Frontier Touring’s Chief Executive. Having joined Frontier Touring and Mushroom Group in 2013 as Chief Operating Officer, he has worked closely with both Michael and Matt Gudinski and was instrumental in negotiating strategic partnerships with AEG Presents and Chugg Entertainment and helped steer the business through COVID to its current return to touring.
Susan Heymann
Heymann moves from her role as Managing Director of Chugg Entertainment to Chief Operating Officer of Frontier, overseeing artist relations, creative and content development for the business. With almost 20 years in the touring business, she will continue to act as a promoter and oversee Chugg Entertainment tours, and her new role will see her work closely with Frontier’s other joint venture partners and in-house team of promoters - Michael Chugg, Gerard Schlaghecke, and Sahara Herald - to expand Frontier’s live business.
Reegan Stark
With 19 years at Frontier Touring and the Mushroom Group, Stark joins the Frontier Executive team as Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, responsible for all aspects of Frontier’s brand, marketing, communications, digital and sponsorship.
Andrew Spencer
After joining Chugg Entertainment in 2017, Spencer will round out the Frontier Executive team as Chief Commercial Officer, responsible for Business Affairs, Strategy and Business Development. In a dual role he will also work with the AEG Presents Asia’s executive team.
Images: The Frontier Touring Leadership Team (top, from left): Marshall Nu, Matt Gudinski, Reegan Stark, Andrew Spencer, Dion Brant, Gerard Schlaghecke, Susan Heymann, Adam Wilkes and Michael Chugg and the Frontier Touring Executive (below, from left): Andrew Spencer, Reegan Stark, Dion Brant and Susan Heymann. Images courtesy of Ian Laidlaw.
15th March 2022 - Live music industry set to experience significant growth in the Asia-Pacific region
8th March 2022 - Foo Fighters lead resurgence of stadium rock in Australia
28th January 2022 - Full Tilt festival organiser says promoters have ‘zero confidence’ in governments after live industry’s ‘disgraceful’ treatment
22nd December 2021 - Omicron variant sees Coronavirus again impacting live performance
27th September 2021 - Promoter Paul Dainty confirms postponement of Guns N’ Roses’ Australasian tour to late 2022
15th September 2021 - Tour Promoters offer vaccinated Australians chance of free tickets
9th September 2021 - MKTG reveal 2021 Frontier survey findings on sport and entertainment sponsorship
6th September 2021 - Leading entertainment promoters launch ‘Vax the Nation’ campaign
26th March 2021 - Music stars and industry stakeholders pay tribute at Michael Gudinski’s state memorial
25th March 2021 - Live performance and entertainment bodies welcome Federal Government’s funding extension
9th March 2021 - Family agrees to State Memorial for Michael Gudinski
4th March 2021 - AEG Presents to partner with Japan’s Avex Entertainment to develop live music
4th March 2021 - Industry pays tribute to Michael Gudinski
3rd March 2021 - Remembering legendary Australian music promoter Michael Gudinski
2nd March 2021 - Australian entertainment industry saddened by death of Michael Gudinski
18th January 2021 - Visit Victoria partners with Mushroom Group to launch ‘2021 Sounds Better Together’ concert series
14th May 2020 - Michael Gudinski named most influential person in Australia’s music industry
18th December 2019 - AEG and Accor extend international partnerships with global assets deal
30th April 2019 - Mushroom Group launches new neighbouring rights venture
11th April 2019 - AEG Ogden welcomes Gudinski and Chugg to its global family
11th April 2019 - Leading global promoters Frontier Touring and AEG announce strategic joint venture
26th March 2019 - Promoters Gudinski and Chugg announce new partnership
24th January 2019 - Frontier Touring ranked top Australian promoter in new Billboard global report
16th October 2016 - Michael Chugg named International Entertainment Buyer of the Year
1st May 2016 - Frontier Touring issues Facebook warning on ticket scalping and unauthorised resellers
10th August 2015 - Frontier Touring named the Number One Concert Promoter in the World
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