Alain Levy facts for kids
Alain Levy is a very important person in the music and movie industries. He was born in Metz, France, on December 19, 1946. He has helped many famous music companies and movie studios grow and succeed around the world.
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Early Life and Education
Alain Levy studied engineering at the Ecole des Mines in France, graduating in 1970. He then went to the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania in the United States, where he earned his MBA in 1972. This education helped him prepare for a big career in business.
Working in the Music World
Starting at CBS (1972-1984)
Alain Levy began his career at CBS Records International in 1972. He started by helping the president of CBS Records International. Later, he moved to Paris to manage how music was made and sent out. He became the vice president of marketing for Europe in 1976. He also managed CBS Italy. By 1979, he was promoted to the top job, CEO, of CBS France.
Leading PolyGram France (1984-1988)
In 1984, Levy joined PolyGram as the CEO of its French business. In just four years, he made PolyGram the largest music company in France. It had a huge share of the music market, showing how good he was at leading.
Growing PolyGram Worldwide (1988-1998)
In 1988, Alain Levy moved to London to take on an even bigger role at PolyGram. He became the executive vice president, in charge of PolyGram's pop music marketing and music publishing all over the world.
In 1990, he helped PolyGram buy two very important music labels: Island Records and A&M Records. This brought famous artists like U2 and Sting to PolyGram. He helped combine these new companies into PolyGram. He also helped create PolyGram Group Distribution, Inc. in the U.S. This new company managed how all of PolyGram's music and videos were sold and marketed in the United States. That same year, PolyGram became a public company, meaning its shares could be bought and sold on stock exchanges.
In 1991, Levy became the worldwide President and CEO of PolyGram. For the next seven years, he worked to make PolyGram a global entertainment powerhouse. Under his leadership, PolyGram sold one out of every five music albums worldwide. The company also released popular movies like Four Weddings and a Funeral and Fargo.
Expanding into Film and Digital
Music Business Success
In 1992, Levy helped PolyGram buy Motown and Def Jam, which added even more different types of music to the company. He focused on making PolyGram's music business strong globally. He made sure the company invested in local artists and focused on making a profit, not just being the biggest. By the mid-1990s, PolyGram was the most profitable music company and the number one music company in the world.
Building a Film Studio
Starting in 1992, Alain Levy saw that music sales were not growing as fast. So, he led PolyGram to expand into the international movie business. They created PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (PFE). PFE made and distributed many successful films, including Four Weddings and a Funeral, Trainspotting, Bean, Fargo, and Dead Man Walking. PolyGram Filmed Entertainment became the largest European-owned movie studio.
Leaving PolyGram
From 1992 to 1998, Levy was also on the board of PHILIPS, a big electronics company that owned PolyGram. He helped develop both the technology (hardware) and the content (like music and movies). In 1998, Philips decided to focus only on hardware. So, PolyGram was sold to another company called Seagram, and Alain Levy left PolyGram.
Investing in Digital (1999-2001)
After leaving PolyGram, Levy became an advisor and invested in many new media companies, especially those involved with the internet. He saw the future of digital media.
Leading EMI Music (2001-2007)
From 2001 to 2007, Alain Levy was the chairman and CEO of EMI Music worldwide. He helped combine EMI and Virgin Group into one company, which saved a lot of money. He then focused on changing EMI's strategy for the digital age. He wanted EMI to focus on what consumers wanted, not just on creating content.
Levy invested a lot of money in new technology for EMI. EMI was one of the first music companies to make its music available digitally. They also started talks with Apple about the launch of iTunes. He also led discussions about digital rights management, which helps protect music online. During this time, EMI used market research to understand its customers better. The company also helped artists like Norah Jones, Coldplay, and Keith Urban become famous worldwide.
In 2006, Levy famously said that "The CD as it is right now is dead," predicting the shift to digital music. In early 2007, EMI was sold, and Levy left the company.
Advising Banijay (2008-2009)
In 2008 and 2009, Levy was a senior advisor to Banijay. This was a new company that bought independent TV production companies from around the world. They helped these companies share and adapt TV show ideas.
Algean Group (2013)
In September 2013, he became the Executive Chairman of the Algean Group. This group of companies works in travel, property, and marketing, with a special focus on new media and technology.
Family Life
Alain Levy has six children:
- Arnaud Levy, born August 28, 1970
- Jerome Levy, born November 10, 1972
- Victor Levy, born February 7, 1985
- Charlotte Levy, born June 23, 1997
- Cleo Levy, born December 1, 1998
- Nathaniel Levy, born March 29, 2004
