VIRGIN RECORDS appoints syaheed to vice president to amea region
Virgin Music Group Appoints Syaheed MSBI as Vice President of AMEA
Virgin Music Group, the world’s leading partner to independent artists, labels, and entrepreneurs, has appointed Syaheed MSBI as Vice President of the AMEA region. In this newly created role, Syaheed will oversee the company’s operations across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
“Syaheed has built his reputation as a fierce advocate for artists, first as the founder of his own independent music company and later as a seasoned executive building a robust business supporting independent labels and artists,” said Michael Roe, Managing Director of AMEA at Virgin Music Group. “With his deep connections across the region, we’re excited to have him lead and inspire our exceptional team as we continue to build a best-in-class offering for the independent music community around the world.”
Syaheed joins Virgin Music Group following more than 13 years at Believe, where he most recently served as Global Artist Success & International Director. During his time at Believe, he built the company’s artist services business across Southeast Asia and Australia, working with prominent artists including Hindia, Yura Yunita, Sal Priadi, Saran, Blvckheart, Nik Makino, Young Bleed Neet, and Cub Sport.
He also played a key role in expanding Believe’s teams and operations in Singapore and Malaysia, helping establish a strong presence for the company in these important markets.
Syaheed began his career as an entrepreneur, founding independent music company Bedsty in 2002. There, he signed, produced, and developed artists across Singapore and Malaysia, managing acts including Sezairi, the first Singaporean artist to surpass 100 million Spotify streams, as well as Sheikh Haikel, THELIONCITYBOY, and Wicked Aura.
His appointment follows Virgin Music Group’s recent acquisition of Downtown, with FUGA and Downtown Artist & Label Services now operating under VMG’s regional leadership structure. The integration aligns teams and operations while strengthening collaboration across the combined business in each market.
“I’m excited to join Virgin Music Group, where Nat [Pastor], JT [Myers], Michael, and the entire team are building one of the most exciting companies in music today,” said Syaheed. “Virgin is known for its industry-leading service, artist-first ambition, and global reach. Combined with Downtown’s best-in-class global infrastructure, we can provide entrepreneurial labels and artists across AMEA with a premier platform to connect with their fans and build lasting success.
“I look forward to working closely with the incredible labels and artists across the Virgin family. When artists, labels, and partners win together, the entire industry moves forward—and that is especially important in emerging markets.”
Virgin Music Group has established a strong on-the-ground network across AMEA, including Haluk Cerahaman in Turkey, Amit Sharma in India, Cindy Gu in Southeast Asia, Marcus Rowland in China, Kay Ikazobo in Nigeria, Nicole Thomas in South Africa, and Anita Zagar in South Korea.
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