James G. Fifield is an American businessman, who was President and CEO of
EMI
EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British Transnational corporation, transnational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in March 1 ...
from 1988 to 1998.
Background
Prior to joining EMI, Fifield became a vice president at
General Mills
General Mills, Inc., is an American multinational manufacturer and marketer of branded processed consumer foods sold through retail stores. Founded on the banks of the Mississippi River at Saint Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, the company orig ...
in 1984. In 1985, he became president and chief executive of
CBS/Fox Video.
EMI
During his tenure, EMI became the number one publishing company and the third largest music company in the world, with operations in over 70 countries and sales in excess of $4 billion. Operating profits grew from $5 million in 1988 to over $550 million in 1998, disposing of
Thorn
Thorn(s) or The Thorn(s) may refer to:
Botany
* Thorns, spines, and prickles, sharp structures on plants
* ''Crataegus monogyna'', or common hawthorn, a plant species
Comics and literature
* Rose and Thorn, the two personalities of two DC Com ...
to Thorn EMI to redefine the company as a music business.
Accquisitions carried out under Fifield's tenure included Japan's Toshiba/EMI for over $400m, SBK Publishing for $337m (in 1989),
Chrysalis for £70m, and Virgin for $950m, amongst dozens of other lesser known labels.
During his tenure, the company expanded into Eastern Europe and Latin America. He also led the company through global consolidation during a time of transition, reconfiguring the business to reflect the emergence of the CD, closing vinyl businesses, and consolidating the cassette businesses.
Fifield was forced out of EMI in the spring of 1998, after an unsuccessful bid to become the chief executive of
EMI Group
EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 2012 ...
.
He was bought out of his contract for 12 million pounds, reportedly the largest corporate buyout in UK history at the time.
In 2007, he pursued a bid to purchase EMI with London-based financier Sam Glover, which was later withdrawn.
References
External links
Article on Fifield at EMI
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
American chief executives
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