23 May 2024

GESAC appoints Adriana Moscoso as new General Manager

Brussels, 23 May 2024 – GESAC, the European Grouping of Authors Societies (CMOs) representing more than one million authors and rightholders from all artistic fields, today announced the appointment of Adriana Moscoso Del Prado Hernández as the new General Manager, replacing Véronique Desbrosses, who is retiring on 30 June next.

Adriana Moscoso Del Prado Hernández will join GESAC on 19 August from Madrid, where she is currently an elected member of the “Ayuntamiento de Madrid” and a member of the Culture Committee. Adriana has extensive knowledge of the collective management of authors’ rights as she held important functions within SGAE, the Spanish authors’ society, and then at CISAC, the international confederation of authors’ societies, where she headed legal and public affairs. Adriana also held important political positions as Director General in the Spanish Ministry of Culture, where she oversaw the cultural and creative industries, and at WIPO, where she recently chaired the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights. Adriana will bring to GESAC her invaluable political and executive management experience, as well as her multilateral diplomatic skills and vast legal knowledge.

Adriana will work hand in hand with Burak Özgen, who is promoted as the Deputy General Manager and who will complement Adriana’s management skills with his extensive legal expertise and EU lobbying experience that is already well-recognised in Brussels. As such, the new management team will further enhance GESAC’s efficiency and prominence at EU level. Burak Özgen will ensure the interim management of GESAC as acting General Manager until 19 August.

Commenting on her appointment, Adriana Moscoso del Prado Hernández said: “I am very happy to join GESAC and be able to contribute to the leading role it plays in creating the best possible political and legal environment for creators in Europe. Véronique leaves an incredible history of big battles and achievements behind her as she leaves GESAC, and I am very excited to lead the organisation at this critical period of time and ahead of the new challenges and opportunities linked to the use of creative works by new technologies, where authors’ societies are poised to play a pivotal role for the EU’s copyright policy. I am looking forward to representing a sector that is indispensable for ensuring fair remuneration of creators and cultural diversity in Europe, and, moreover, that I am passionate about.”

Véronique Desbrosses said: “I am pleased to pass the baton to Adriana Moscoso, who together with Burak Özgen, I am convinced, will form the most effective leadership team for GESAC at this moment in time. To meet the challenges created by AI for authors’ rights, artistic creation and culture, it is more important than ever to have a strong and collaborative voice in Europe and to showcase the value that authors’ societies bring to the market, for innovation, culture and consumers. I wish Adriana and GESAC the greatest success, putting authors’ right at the forefront of European cultural and digital policies, so as to allow artistic creation to keep flourishing.”

Gernot Graninger, former President of GESAC and CEO of AKM/Austomechana said: “We are delighted that Adriana is joining GESAC during this time of transformation and confident that her broad experience in policy and thorough knowledge of our sector will help towards achieving GESAC’s objectives at EU policy level.”

David El Sayegh, newly elected President of GESAC and Deputy CEO of SACEM said: “Adriana is the right person for GESAC at the right moment, and I am looking forward to working with her together with Burak, to further develop and enhance the outstanding work done so far by GESAC. I am also grateful to Véronique, who has dedicated her entire career to creating a legal framework for the adequate protection of authors’ rights, a political perspective that allows European artistic creation to thrive, and broad recognition of the crucial role played by European authors’ societies in all these areas. This is a crucial time for GESAC to strongly deliver the common voice of our sector at EU level given the various issues that impact our sector.”

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A photo of Adriana Moscoso is available here.

For more information:

Véronique Desbrosses l +33 6 62 45 2601 l veronique.desbrosses@gesac.org

www.authorsocieties.eu / @authorsocieties

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