The Merlin Board
Strategic
and Dynamic
The Merlin Board*:
- Informs the Merlin team with a diversity of voices and innovative perspectives from across our global membership.
- Ensures that our organizational objectives equally benefit all members, regardless of size, region, or catalog.
- Elected by and from Merlin’s global membership.
Responsibilities of the Merlin Board
The Merlin Board is responsible for:
- Governance, oversight and approvals including the admin fee percentage, Merlin’s annual budget, equity holdings, the Merlin membership agreement, and the Merlin membership criteria.
- Providing perspective into independent activity and local music industries in countries around the world.
- Participating in strategic conversations and ensuring that what’s important to independents is being heard by the Merlin Team.
Structure of the Merlin Board
- The Merlin Board has a total of 16 board seats, with nominations and elections held every two years for all seats.
- The Merlin Board is divided regionally to ensure geographic and cultural diversity, as follows:
– 5 Board Members from the US & Canada
– 5 Board Members from the UK & Europe
– 5 Board Members from all other regions
– 1 rotating Board Member seat - Every Merlin Member is eligible to nominate a candidate (provided that member joined Merlin at least one year prior to the election process) and every member has an equal vote to elect the Merlin Board.
Meet Our Board
(2026-2027)
Darius van Arman
Chairperson
Co-CEO, Secretly
United States
Bugwu Aneto-Okeke Founder & CEO, Measurable Accurate Digital Solutions Nigeria
Pascal Bittard Founder and CEO, IDOL France
Golda Bitterli VP of Sales, Revelator Israel
Rachel Buswell Head of Digital Partnerships & Analytics, Domino Recording Co. United Kingdom
Charles Caldas Partner, Exceleration Music Portugal
Marie Clausen Managing Director North America, Ninja Tune United States
Tom Deakin Head of EMEA, AudioSalad United Kingdom
Megan Jasper CEO, Sub Pop Records United States
Sascha Lazimbat Co-Founder & President, Zebralution Germany
Chris Maund Co-CEO, Mushroom Music Australia
Carlos Mills Founder & CEO, Mills Records Brazil
Manami Ogawa Director and Chief Content Officer, STARBASE Japan
Louis Posen President & Executive Director, Hopeless Records United States
Justin West President, Secret City Records Canada
Verónica Rojas
Board Observer
Head of Content, Casete
Mexico
Dan Waite
Board Observer
CEO, Better Noise Music
United Kingdom
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