CHRIS STEPHENSON
Chris Stephenson
General Manager of Global Marketing, Entertainment Business, Microsoft Corp.
ZUNE™ STATS
Color of Zune device:
Brown
Favorite Artist:
Radiohead
Chris Stephenson, general manager of Global Marketing for the Entertainment Business, joined Microsoft Corp. in March 2006 and is responsible for its new digital music project, Zune. He brings a breadth of music experience to Microsoft and is excited to apply his knowledge to Zune, specifically in music and entertainment marketing, international brand development, and artist promotion.
Stephenson has a unique, diverse background in the music industry. Most recently, he was the CEO and founder of Antenna, a brand strategy and music placement company. Before creating Antenna, Stephenson spent five years as senior vice president of Marketing and Artist Development at the House of Blues, where he was instrumental in the development of the brand and the evolution of the live concerts media distribution model. After this he joined Ministry of Sound as CEO of North American operations, providing him with the opportunity to experience a completely different side of the music-club scene, including artist development, compilations, licensing and media extensions. Previously, Stephenson was senior vice president of Marketing for MTV Networks in Europe where he was engaged in the rollout of the MTV and VH1 brands internationally.
Stephenson has an undeniable passion for music, and his breadth of experience in this field has given him quite a few stories to tell. Whether it’s backstage with The Pogues or introducing Bono to Dylan, nothing will compare to the early days of the musical venue Factory in Manchester, where Stephenson’s musical roots took hold. He’s seen more concerts than he can keep track of, but the one artist that steals the show every time is Radiohead. He’s also looking forward to seeing Mum the next time they come in from Iceland.