GYRO.Group names Henry Compton head of APAC for DistroDirect amid broader leadership reshuffle

A hire aimed at the region

GYRO.Group has appointed Henry Compton as head of APAC for DistroDirect, the company's white-label distribution platform. According to Billboard, the move was announced on Wednesday, May 13, and brings someone with more than two decades of experience in business development, marketing and client relations into the Brisbane-based operation.

Compton joins from senior roles at The Orchard and FUGA, where he led business development, go-to-market strategy, and client work across Australia and New Zealand. Group chief commercial officer Matthew Rogers described him as exactly the caliber of executive the company had been building toward.

Expansion already underway

DistroDirect has been growing its footprint across South-East Asia, having recently signed a number of independent music businesses in the Philippines. Adding a dedicated APAC lead suggests the group is treating that region as a serious priority rather than a side project.

With Compton on board, GYRO.Group's global team now numbers more than 70 people.

Internal moves

The external hire came alongside a series of internal promotions. Adrian Burke, who has led artist services arm GROUP SPEED since its inception and worked closely with acts like Dom Dolla, Mariah Carey and Swedish House Mafia, adds duties as executive vice president of artist services and A&R. Other moves include:

• Alison Bremner steps into general manager of marketing, overseeing brand development across the full GYRO.Group portfolio globally
• Harry Young is named head of A&R for AU/NZ, after joining in late 2025
• Alexandria Thomson rises to artist marketing lead for Australasia
• Claire Hirayama-Kaarsberg moves into a partner relations manager role within DistroDirect
• Alyssa d'Artenay shifts into pitching and artist services management
• Kriza Canzon takes on an expanded role covering artist support and compliance

Context and ambitions

The reshuffle follows the opening of GYRO.Group's Latin American office in Brazil, which launched on Friday, March 27, and is led by Samuel Fernandes. The group has also racked up five ARIA number one albums this year, including Keli Holiday's Capital Fiction and Tom Busby's Rockhampton Hangover.

CEO and co-founder Andy Irvine framed the direction plainly: the goal is to become the biggest net exporter of Australian music. Every hire, expansion and technology decision, he said, is pointed at that target.