Temi joined Warner Music Group (WMG) in 2016 as a director reporting directly to WMG's CEO of International Recorded Music. She had a broad range of responsibilities managing a portfolio of 40 international affiliates of the WMG which accounts for $2.1BN in revenue and $403M OIBDA (approximately 55% of WMG's business). In that role, she worked with other senior leaders to develop the overall strategy of WMG’s international business, including corporate development and M&A. She also led WMG’s growth via recorded music acquisitions and has played a central role in developing the Company’s moves to build and buy innovative music-adjacent businesses in order to diversify its revenue mix. Temi spearheaded efforts to ramp up WMG’s activities in key emerging markets (India, Sub-Saharan Africa and Middle East North Africa) with tailored approaches (investments, partnerships, etc.) to fit each market as well as the company’s broader commercial objectives.
After four years, she was promoted to senior vice president (SVP), International Recorded Music, giving her more oversight of the company’s emerging markets strategy. One year later in 2021, Temi was promoted to the combined role of Managing Director of Warner Music Africa (WM Africa) and SVP, Strategy, Sub-Saharan Africa. She has a dual reporting line, one to the President, Emerging Markets in building WMG’s presence, roster and market share in Sub-Saharan Africa and the other to Simon Robson, continuing her work on a number of international projects from her previous role.
As MD of WM Africa, her main task is to develop and define the long-term vision and growth plan for WM Africa in line with strategic priorities of WMG. Between 2021 and 2023, WM Africa has completed two acquisitions of a niche Afrikaans label in South Africa, Coleske, and of the largest distribution platform in Africa, Africori. Under her leadership, the business topline has grown by 60% and market share has increased by over 20%.
Additionally, Temi serves on the investment committee of Influence Media Partners, a $650M fund set up to procure publishing and recorded music catalogs. She manages WMG’s investment in the vehicle and oversees the valuation / acquisition of potential assets.
Boards / Industry Bodies
Temi serves as Vice President of the Board of the Warner Music Group / Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund, a $100M fund to further the advancement of underrepresented (principally black) populations around the globe. In this role, she draws experience from the seven years spent on the Board of Youth Represent, a nonprofit which provides legal representation for young people (primarily from minority communities) affected by the criminal justice system. Temi is also a Trustee on the board of The Africa Center (New York), a nonprofit, nonpartisan, multidisciplinary institution that provides a gateway for engagement with contemporary Africa and a board member of Rele Arts Foundation, the non-profit initiative for Rele Gallery that aims to engage and drive both the practice and reception of contemporary art in Nigeria.
On the for-profit side, she is on the board of Afripods (a podcast hosting platform building the largest library of African audio stories).
Awards / Recognitions
Billboard International Power Players (2024) Billboard Women In Music (2023) Turntable Charts Power List: Top 30 Music Executives in Nigeria (2022, 2023) Billboard: Executive of the Week (October 2021)
Prior Experience
Prior to her employment at WMG, Temi was an associate in the Debt Finance Group at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, representing private equity funds and their portfolio companies in connection with refinancing, syndicated loan, acquisition and leveraged financing transactions as well as asset-based credit facilities.
Education
COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL, New York, NY (2009 – 2012) [JD, Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar]
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON, London, England (2011 – 2012) [LLM, International Commercial Law, with Merit ]
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY, Princeton, NJ (2005 – 2009) [AB, Political Economy; Certificates in Germanic Languages & Literature and African Studies] (June 2009)
