Jaxsta Appoints Josh Simons as CEO – Billboard
SYDNEY, Australia — Josh Simons is the new CEO of Jaxsta.
The Vampr co-founder succeeds Beth Appleton, who steps down as CEO with immediate effect, reads a statement issued Thursday (June 29) to the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX).
Simons takes the reins at Jaxsta Limited, the world’s biggest database of official music credits, following the completion of the acquisition of Vampr on June 1, 2023, when he was named as chief strategy officer.
Going forward, he’ll continue in those duties in addition to his appointment as CEO.
“The board thanks Beth for her significant contribution to Jaxsta during a period of growth and change,” comments Jaxsta chair Linda Jenkinson. “We wish her all the best for her future.”
Appleton departs some 14 months after her own promotion from chief marketing officer to the top job.
Born in Britain and now based in Sydney, Australia, Appleton joined Jaxsta in July 2021 from major label-land, including stints with Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and EMI. During her ten-year run with WMG, she earned a reputation as one of the best in the business, and plaudits in Billboard’s “Women In Music” feature.
“I will relish my time at Jaxsta and the initiatives that I drove,” she comments. “I wish Josh, and the incredible team, all the very best for the future. I’m proud to have been a part of the Jaxsta evolution, and look forward to watching the business continue on its mission.”
Jaxsta is Australia’s only ASX-listed music business.
The incoming chief executive takes the helm at a business that, currently, boasts more than 343 million official, deep-linked music credits across 107 million pages, sourced from over 359 data partners.
Last week, WiseTech founder and CEO Richard White became a substantial shareholder in the company as part of its A$3 million capital raise.
“I’ve been following Josh Simons for a number of years as the founder and CEO of Vampr,” White explains. “I have been impressed by his tenacity, focus, vision and particularly the ability to build a commercial model that grows and retains revenue and customers. Now that Vampr is a part of Jaxsta, Josh will, no doubt, contribute his drive, skills and experience to the larger business. I see his contribution will be able to create a clear path to revenue and profitability for Jaxsta.”
Simons co-founded Vampr in 2015 with Barry Palmer. Today, it’s recognized as the leading social-professional network for musicians, boasting 1.3 million users and facilitating over eight million connections.
“Jaxsta has a clear vision and product roadmap going into FY24, and that’s a credit to the Board, Beth and the team who have done a remarkable job,” Simons comments. “Revenue, cost efficiency and profitability remain the top priorities for Jaxsta and I look forward to building on the current momentum. We have the foundation for a transformational global music product as we continue to integrate Vampr into the business and scale the Vinyl.com platform.”
The changing of the guard closely follows Jaxsta’s Master of Metadata win at the Music Business Association’s Bizzy Awards 2023, and the launch of Vinyl.com, a new online store powered by Jaxsta’s official music credits. In April of this year, Jacqui Louez Schoorl announced her departure from Jaxsta, a decade after she founded the business.
