Universal Music Publishing Group names Sunita Kaur president of Asia

UMPG bets on a tech-savvy executive for Asia

Universal Music Publishing Group has appointed Sunita Kaur as president, Asia, according to Billboard. Based in Singapore, Kaur will oversee UMPG's operations across the continent, reporting directly to chairman and CEO Jody Gerson. The move is part of a broader restructuring at the publishing giant and signals how seriously the major is taking the region as a long-term growth market.

Kaur is not a publishing insider by background. She spent years at the intersection of music and technology, serving as senior VP for APAC at Twitch from 2020 to 2023. Before that, she held senior roles at Spotify, including managing director for Southeast Asia and VP of revenue for APAC. Earlier in her career she ran Facebook's Asia operations as director from 2011 to 2013. That digital-first resume is clearly part of the appeal for a company trying to navigate an increasingly streaming-and-licensing-driven landscape.

What she is walking into

The appointment comes hours after UMPG confirmed that Andrew Jenkins, its long-standing president of Australia and the Asia Pacific Region, will depart effective July 1. Kaur effectively steps into a role being vacated by a veteran, and will be expected to maintain existing relationships while pushing the company into new markets and partnerships.

Gerson framed the hire in ambitious terms. "Asia represents one of the most exciting and important regions for the future of music publishing," he said in a statement, adding that Kaur's "deep understanding of the evolving digital landscape" and her regional relationships would be key assets.

For her part, Kaur described the move as a natural convergence of her two career threads. "Having worked across both music and technology throughout my career, joining UMPG feels like a natural and exciting next chapter as those worlds continue to come together in new and powerful ways," she said.

Why it matters

The Asia-Pacific publishing market has been one of the fastest-evolving in the industry, driven by K-pop, C-pop, and a wave of independent songwriters across Southeast Asia. Placing an executive with deep platform experience, someone who has sat on the other side of the licensing table at Spotify and Twitch, in the top regional role suggests UMPG wants someone who understands what streaming partners actually need. Whether that translates into better deals for songwriters in the region is the question worth watching.