George Levendis
Encyclopedia
George Levendis is a television and record executive
and the current Head of International for Syco TV, a joint venture between Simon Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment.
Most recently he was general manager
of the Greek television network ANT1
the number two station in the Greek market and the largest Greek satellite station worldwide.
Over the last 20 years, he has held marketing and management positions at a number of record companies, including Arista Records
, Arista Records U.K.
, BMG Greece, BMG Australia
, Heaven Music
, and culminating as Senior Vice President of Sony BMG Global Marketing at the headquarters of Sony BMG in New York City. In this position, he oversaw worldwide campaigns for artists including Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Pink, Shakira, Foo Fighters, Kings of Leon, Leona Lewis, Il Divo and Westlife.
Under his control, Heaven Music was built into one of Greece's largest and successful independent music companies.
In February 2011, he was the winning judge after three consecutive seasons on the Greek version of the singing competition The X Factor
.
to Greek parents. From a young age, he started working in his family's businesses, including his parents jewelry business. He later worked as a DJ
. Levendis soon moved with his family to Sydney
, Australia
where he attended Sydney Boys High School
. He pursued a Bachelor of Arts
degree in Psychology at the University of New South Wales
and in 1992 graduated with a Master of Commerce in Marketing. He continued his further education graduating with a Master of Arts in Media Management from Macquarie University Graduate School of Management in 1994.
Levendis started out at BMG Australia
in 1989 as a third-party label manager. In 1991, he began serving as an international label manager, eventually also serving as the Manager of International Product Development and the National Marketing Manager of BMG Australia, while in 1994 Levendis was promoted to General Manager of Marketing. In 1995, Levendis left BMG Australia for Arista Records U.K.
, where he served as Marketing Director. In 1997, he took over as General Manager at BMG Greece. Later in 1999, he moved to Arista Records
in New York where he served as Vice President of International Worldwide Marketing, while he was eventually promoted to Senior Vice President of Marketing in 2001. While at Arista, Levendis helped capitalize on artists' global presence, as well as convincing international labels to release albums from Arista artists. He also oversaw the international marketing campaigns for Carlos Santana's
Supernatural, Whitney Houston's
My Love is Your Love
and Whitney: The Greatest Hits
, TLC's
FanMail
, and Pink's
Can't Take Me Home
among others.
In 2002, Levendis was hired as Managing Director/CEO with the launching of the Greek independent label Heaven Music
, owned by ANT1 Group
, which he helped build into one of Greece's most successful independent music companies, while he also served as a judge on ANT1
's singing competition show Fame Story
. He remained with Heaven Music and Fame Story until 2005, when he was hired by Sony BMG's global headquarters in New York to serve as Senior Vice President of Sony BMG Global Marketing Group.
In 2008, Levendis was named General Manager of ANT1
, and the same year he began to serve as a judge on Greece's The X Factor
. Since taking over, Levendis has repositioned Antenna as the most contemporary station in the Greek market. The rebranding strategy which included new logo, complete station makeover and a new internet strategy has placed Antenna to a new era. High rating shows include 'Greece Has Got Talent', 'Next Top Model'. 'Dancing with Stars','The X Factor', 'Radio Arvyla', 'Wipeout', 'The Next Uri Geller', 'Greys Anatomy', 'Ola', 'Axizis na to deis', and the morning show '10 to 1'. Antenna has once again entered the sports domain broadcasting Formula One, Greek A1 Basketball League, for the 2009 season and the UEFA EUROPA league for three consecutive years.
On The X Factor, Levendis has been characterized as the "good judge", while he has had confrontations with fellow judge Giorgos Theofanous on various issues. In November 2009, relations between the two escalated when Theofanous mocked Levendis' Greek language
skills, stating that Levendis should have fellow judge Katerina Gagaki translate and write out his thoughts for him to read instead. Theofanous also criticized Levendis' tendency to vote for acts that sing predominantly international songs instead of Greek, claiming that there is currently a crisis in the Greek music industry and that he is not helping with his actions. In January 2010, Levendis' Greek language skills were put into question again when popular ANT1
talk show Radio Arvyla created a parody of Levendis using an actual soundbite of him that demonstrated his lack of fluency in Greek. The parody became a viral hit in Greece and prompted the formation of a facebook group, while Levendis later acknowledged it was funny and was bound to catch on.
Levendis' wife is on the Board of Directors of the Make a Wish Foundation in Greece and plays an integral part in the marketing and public relations of the charity. Make A Wish is currently the selected charity for Greece's high rating show 'Dancing with the Stars'.
Music executive
A music executive or record executive is person within a record label who works in senior management, making executive decisions over the label's artists...
and the current Head of International for Syco TV, a joint venture between Simon Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment.
Most recently he was general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
of the Greek television network ANT1
ANT1
Antenna, better known as ANT1, is a television network airing in Greece and Cyprus. The alternate spelling is play on words in Greek; ena is the Greek number 1, thus ANT1 is pronounced the same as Antenna . It launched on 31 December 1989, the same year as rival Mega Channel, and is owned by...
the number two station in the Greek market and the largest Greek satellite station worldwide.
Over the last 20 years, he has held marketing and management positions at a number of record companies, including Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
, Arista Records U.K.
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
, BMG Greece, BMG Australia
BMG Music Australia
BMG Australia is the predominant record label operated via Sony BMG in Australia. In 2003, It has close ties with Australian Idol whereby the big winner of the major prize competition receives a recording contract with BMG, in which Australian Idol later joined Sony BMG in 2004.-Sony BMG Australian...
, Heaven Music
Heaven Music
Heaven Music is an independent record label in Athens, Greece, founded in 2001 by ANT1 Group. It is known for signing new and young artists.-Overview:...
, and culminating as Senior Vice President of Sony BMG Global Marketing at the headquarters of Sony BMG in New York City. In this position, he oversaw worldwide campaigns for artists including Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Pink, Shakira, Foo Fighters, Kings of Leon, Leona Lewis, Il Divo and Westlife.
Under his control, Heaven Music was built into one of Greece's largest and successful independent music companies.
In February 2011, he was the winning judge after three consecutive seasons on the Greek version of the singing competition The X Factor
The X Factor (Greece)
The X Factor is the Greek version of The X Factor, a show originating in the United Kingdom. It is a television music talent show contested by aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions....
.
Background
George Levendis was born in South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
to Greek parents. From a young age, he started working in his family's businesses, including his parents jewelry business. He later worked as a DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
. Levendis soon moved with his family to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
where he attended Sydney Boys High School
Sydney Boys High School
Sydney Boys High School is an academically selective public secondary school for boys, located in the City of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, with 1,180 students, from years 7 to 12...
. He pursued a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in Psychology at the University of New South Wales
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
and in 1992 graduated with a Master of Commerce in Marketing. He continued his further education graduating with a Master of Arts in Media Management from Macquarie University Graduate School of Management in 1994.
Levendis started out at BMG Australia
BMG Music Australia
BMG Australia is the predominant record label operated via Sony BMG in Australia. In 2003, It has close ties with Australian Idol whereby the big winner of the major prize competition receives a recording contract with BMG, in which Australian Idol later joined Sony BMG in 2004.-Sony BMG Australian...
in 1989 as a third-party label manager. In 1991, he began serving as an international label manager, eventually also serving as the Manager of International Product Development and the National Marketing Manager of BMG Australia, while in 1994 Levendis was promoted to General Manager of Marketing. In 1995, Levendis left BMG Australia for Arista Records U.K.
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
, where he served as Marketing Director. In 1997, he took over as General Manager at BMG Greece. Later in 1999, he moved to Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
in New York where he served as Vice President of International Worldwide Marketing, while he was eventually promoted to Senior Vice President of Marketing in 2001. While at Arista, Levendis helped capitalize on artists' global presence, as well as convincing international labels to release albums from Arista artists. He also oversaw the international marketing campaigns for Carlos Santana's
Carlos Santana
Carlos Augusto Alves Santana is a Mexican rock guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion...
Supernatural, Whitney Houston's
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
My Love is Your Love
My Love Is Your Love
My Love Is Your Love is the fourth studio album by American singer Whitney Houston, released worldwide on November 17, 1998. The album, her first studio album in eight years since I'm Your Baby Tonight, was composed of mid-tempo R&B, hip hop, ballads, urban-dance, reggae, and torch songs, produced...
and Whitney: The Greatest Hits
Whitney: The Greatest Hits
-International edition:-Whitney: The Unreleased Mixes:Whitney: The Unreleased Mixes is a limited-edition four-record vinyl set, containing eight full club versions of selected remixes found on the American release...
, TLC's
TLC (band)
TLC is an American musical trio whose repertoire spanned R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, and new jack swing. Originally consisting of singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, rapper-singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas it found success in the 1990s while also enduring a series of spats...
FanMail
FanMail
FanMail is the third studio album by American girl group trio TLC, released on February 23, 1999. As with previous album CrazySexyCool , the group re-teamed with Dallas Austin, Babyface, and Jermaine Dupri on the album's production and the album features the computer voice female named Vic-E .The...
, and Pink's
Pink (singer)
Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
Can't Take Me Home
Can't Take Me Home
Can't Take Me Home is the debut album by singer P!nk, released in the United States on April 4, 2000 by LaFace Records. It produced three singles and peaked at number twenty-six on the U.S. Billboard 200...
among others.
In 2002, Levendis was hired as Managing Director/CEO with the launching of the Greek independent label Heaven Music
Heaven Music
Heaven Music is an independent record label in Athens, Greece, founded in 2001 by ANT1 Group. It is known for signing new and young artists.-Overview:...
, owned by ANT1 Group
ANT1 Group
Antenna Group better known as ANT1 Group is a media company in Greece and is currently the largest Greek media company. It was established in 1988 by Minos Kyriakou, the president and founder of Antenna Group. Today Mr. Kyriakou heads up a media empire whose operations include broadcasting,...
, which he helped build into one of Greece's most successful independent music companies, while he also served as a judge on ANT1
ANT1
Antenna, better known as ANT1, is a television network airing in Greece and Cyprus. The alternate spelling is play on words in Greek; ena is the Greek number 1, thus ANT1 is pronounced the same as Antenna . It launched on 31 December 1989, the same year as rival Mega Channel, and is owned by...
's singing competition show Fame Story
Fame Story
Fame Story was a Greek reality TV show that was a licensed version of Endemol's Star Academy on the ANT1 network. It has been one of the most successful Greek TV shows over the last years. The contestants gave a weekly performance in a 2½–3 hour episode in which the contestants were judged...
. He remained with Heaven Music and Fame Story until 2005, when he was hired by Sony BMG's global headquarters in New York to serve as Senior Vice President of Sony BMG Global Marketing Group.
In 2008, Levendis was named General Manager of ANT1
ANT1
Antenna, better known as ANT1, is a television network airing in Greece and Cyprus. The alternate spelling is play on words in Greek; ena is the Greek number 1, thus ANT1 is pronounced the same as Antenna . It launched on 31 December 1989, the same year as rival Mega Channel, and is owned by...
, and the same year he began to serve as a judge on Greece's The X Factor
The X Factor (Greece)
The X Factor is the Greek version of The X Factor, a show originating in the United Kingdom. It is a television music talent show contested by aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions....
. Since taking over, Levendis has repositioned Antenna as the most contemporary station in the Greek market. The rebranding strategy which included new logo, complete station makeover and a new internet strategy has placed Antenna to a new era. High rating shows include 'Greece Has Got Talent', 'Next Top Model'. 'Dancing with Stars','The X Factor', 'Radio Arvyla', 'Wipeout', 'The Next Uri Geller', 'Greys Anatomy', 'Ola', 'Axizis na to deis', and the morning show '10 to 1'. Antenna has once again entered the sports domain broadcasting Formula One, Greek A1 Basketball League, for the 2009 season and the UEFA EUROPA league for three consecutive years.
On The X Factor, Levendis has been characterized as the "good judge", while he has had confrontations with fellow judge Giorgos Theofanous on various issues. In November 2009, relations between the two escalated when Theofanous mocked Levendis' Greek language
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
skills, stating that Levendis should have fellow judge Katerina Gagaki translate and write out his thoughts for him to read instead. Theofanous also criticized Levendis' tendency to vote for acts that sing predominantly international songs instead of Greek, claiming that there is currently a crisis in the Greek music industry and that he is not helping with his actions. In January 2010, Levendis' Greek language skills were put into question again when popular ANT1
ANT1
Antenna, better known as ANT1, is a television network airing in Greece and Cyprus. The alternate spelling is play on words in Greek; ena is the Greek number 1, thus ANT1 is pronounced the same as Antenna . It launched on 31 December 1989, the same year as rival Mega Channel, and is owned by...
talk show Radio Arvyla created a parody of Levendis using an actual soundbite of him that demonstrated his lack of fluency in Greek. The parody became a viral hit in Greece and prompted the formation of a facebook group, while Levendis later acknowledged it was funny and was bound to catch on.
Personal life
Levendis met his wife Maria, a Greek-Australian, while living in Australia. They have 3 children together, boy, girl twins born in Manhattan NYC and a son born in Athens, Greece.Levendis' wife is on the Board of Directors of the Make a Wish Foundation in Greece and plays an integral part in the marketing and public relations of the charity. Make A Wish is currently the selected charity for Greece's high rating show 'Dancing with the Stars'.