John Hirai

John is a bicultural executive with over 25 years of experience in technology, entertainment and advertising industry. He is currently Managing Director of Appellation, which specializes in content development, consulting and funding. In this capacity, he has been instrumental in establishing and growing revenue not only for Appellation, but for their clients, which include 5 of the most well known companies in Asia. Previously, he held several positions at Google, including Head of Content Commercialization for YouTube North Asia, and Head of Music Partnerships for YouTube Japan & Korea. He managed relationships and executed deals with media partners, advertising sponsors, collection societies, record labels, music publishers, concert promoters, artists, MCNs and YouTubers. Prior to Google, he worked at Dentsu (Tokyo), EMI Music (Tokyo), Sony Music Entertainment (Tokyo), Kitty Records (Tokyo), Melting Pot (Singapore), Warner Bros. Records (Los Angeles) and Virgin Records (New York). Specialties include: Business Development, Content Consulting, Content Syndication & Distribution, Contract Negotiation, Strategic Planning, Product Marketing, Alliance Development, Strategic Development, Multi-Platform Video Content Creation, Music Production, Operations Management, Negotiations/Sales Closing, Brand Marketing & Integration, Media Planning & Buying, Advertising and Sponsorship.