Mr. Victor Finn, CEO of IMRO (the Irish Music Rights Organisation) has been appointed to the board of GESAC, the European Grouping of Societies of Authors and Composers. Comprising authors’ societies from across the European Union, Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland, GESAC represents more than 1 million creators, advocating for creators in the areas of musical, audio-visual, visual arts, and literary and dramatic works.

Commenting on his appointment, Victor Finn said, “IMRO and GESAC have a well-established relationship developed through our collective effort to ensure a sustainable creative and cultural ecosystem in Ireland, and across Europe. I look forward to building on this partnership through my membership of the GESAC Board and furthering our shared objective to ensure policy recognition for creators, an area of crucial importance, as the music sector evolves.”

Since his appointment as IMRO CEO in 2008, Victor Finn has been responsible for strengthening the organisation’s position as the primary advocacy body for songwriters and composers in Ireland, working to promote awareness of music policy issues, supporting Government on the drafting of copyright legislation, and leading the call for a much-needed National Music Strategy.

Prior to joining IMRO, Mr. Finn was Managing Director of The Mechanical Copyright Protection Society (Ireland), during which time he oversaw significant developments in the Irish music industry, as income for publishers and songwriters shifted from traditional physical product to digital. A Chartered Management Accountant, Mr. Finn graduated from the University of Limerick.

Elected to the GESAC board on 3rd May 2018, Mr. Finn’s membership will run until May 2020.

About IMRO

IMRO is a national organisation that administers the performing right in copyright music in Ireland on behalf of its members - who are songwriters, composers and music publishers - and on behalf of the songwriters, composers and music publishers of the international overseas societies that are affiliated to it. IMRO has over 11,000 members and represents more than 2.2 million worldwide songwriters, composers and music publishers in Ireland, who in turn own the copyright in more than 14 million musical works.

IMRO’s function is to collect and distribute royalties arising from the public performance of these copyright works. IMRO is a not-for-profit organisation and is a registered licensing body with the Controller under Section 175 of the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000. It is also a member of CISAC and GESAC, the respective worldwide and European collective society umbrella representative organisations. IMRO is also prominently involved in the sponsorship and promotion of music in Ireland. Every year, it sponsors a large number of song contests, music festivals, seminars, workshops, research projects and showcase performances. IMRO is now synonymous with helping to showcase emerging talent in Ireland. Our mission is to protect, promote and develop the distribution of music royalties; foster music creation and promote the value of music to the creative, cultural and business communities in Ireland.