Dimitris Giarmenitis

Dimitris Giarmenitis
Born	January 14, 1959 (1959-01-14) (age 57) Athens
Other names	Yarmenitis, Dimitris
Occupation	former managing director of Sony Music Entertainment Greece

Dimitris C. Giarmenitis or Yarmenitis [Greek: Δημήτρης Γιαρμενίτης] (born January 14, 1959) former managing director of Sony Music Entertainment Greece for 20 years (October 1991 to April 2011)^[1] and Chairman of Show What 'Events & More' (January 2008 to April 2011). Previously (1987 to 1991) Giarmenitis has been one of the most successful A&R and International Marketing managers for CBS/Sony Music in the Greek market and before that (1987–1991) an International Promo Assistant and Product Manager for CBS/Sony Music in Greece. He worked also for a while as an attorney at law.^[2]

Sony Music International (SMEI) in a ceremony specially held for him in Paris, has awarded Dimitris C. Giarmenitis at the age of 52, for his 20 years Managing Directorship, his 30 years' service in Sony Music Greece and particularly for his unique achievement accomplishing over 400 Gold, Platinum and Multi-Platinum album sales awards. This represents one of the most successful artist development runs by any managing director in the history of Sony Music Entertainment.^[3]

In addition to his position at SME Greece, Giarmenitis has been the chairman of IFPI/GRAMMO Greece for nearly 5 years (2007–2011) and is currently the general manager of the Greek non-profit music licensing organization 'GEA-Grammo, Erato, Apollon'.

Early life and studies

Dimitris C. Giarmenitis was born in January 14, 1959 in Athens, Greece. From the first years of his life, he was passionate record collector and a music lover. He graduated from Law School of Ethnikon Kapodistriakon Panepistimion (University of Athens) in 1983 and he practice law between 1984 and 1992 for Argyriou Law Firm.

At the same period, Giarmenitis made his first steps into the music business as a music journalist for popular music magazines in Greece, the legendary 'POP&Rock' under the guidance of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member from Greece, Giannis Petridis, (1978–1985) and TAHYDROMOS (1985–1991), while working as an international marketing assistant for CBS/Sony Music and a radio producer for Athens 984 and TOP FM.

In 1998, while being the managing director of SME Greece he attended an executive program at Harvard University in JFK School of Government for Management.

Career

Despite his professional activity as a lawyer and a music journalist for magazines and radios, his main career path was leaning towards the record label industry.

He started as an assistant for the International Marketing Department and a product manager in the Greek CBS/Sony Music, where he evolved to one of the most successful International Marketing and A&R Managers not only in the Greek market but also globally, amongst CBS/Sony Music professionals.

Giarmenitis and his team signed, developed and collaborated with the most popular in their country and Internationally to this date, artists from Cyprus and Greece, such as Helena Paparizou (winner of Eurovision Song Contest 2005)^[4](Greek: Έλενα Παπαρίζου), Mario Frangoulis (Greek: Μάριος Φραγκούλης), Anna Vissi (Greek: Άννα Βίσση), Antonis Remos (Greek: Αντώνης Ρέμος), Katsimihas Brothers (Greek: Αδελφοί Κατσιμίχα, Glykeria (Greek: Γλυκερία), Natassa Theodoridou (Greek: Νατάσα Θεοδωρίδου), Eleni Tsaligopoulou (Greek: Ελένη Τσαλιγοπούλου), Nikos Aliagas (Greek: Νίκος Αλιάγας), Stavento, Dimitra Galani (Greek: Δήμητρα Γαλάνη), Foivos Delivorias (Greek: Φοίβος Δεληβοριάς), Phoebus (Greek: Φοίβος), Orfeas Peridis (Greek: Ορφέας Περίδης), Paschalis Terzis (Greek: Πασχάλης Τερζής), Christos Dantis (Greek: Χρήστος Δάντης), Sarbel, Giorgos Andreou, Dimitris Papadimitriou (Greek: Δημήτρης Παπαδημητρίου), George Theofanous (Greek: Γιώργος Θεοφάνους), Katy Garbi, C-Real, Giorgos Alkaios (Greek: Γιώργος Αλκαίου), Manolis Lidakis (Greek: Μανώλης Λιδάκης), Stamatis Spanoudakis (Greek: Σταμάτης Σπανουδάκης), Stamatis Kraounakis (Greek: Σταμάτης Κραουνάκης), Vassilikos, The Burger Project and many other...^[5]

Furthermore, Dimitris and his team promoted, with great success, international artists and brands such as Bob Dylan, Shakira, Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, Sade, Jennifer Lopez, George Michael, Michael Jackson, Eros Ramazzotti, Evanescence, Mariah Carey, Pink Martini, Adele, Celine Dion, Pearl Jam, ZAZ, Patricia Kaas, Alice Cooper and many other.

With all these artists Dimitris Giarmenitis with his team succeeded the unprecedented peak sales for both Sony Music & the Greek music industry of approx 5 million albums.

In October 1991, at the age of 32, he was assigned as managing director of Sony Music Entertainment Greece, where he continued contributing as an Artist & Repertoire developer for Sony Music Entertainment in Greece. In 2007 he was assigned as the chairman of the Hellenic Collecting & Administrating Society of the Rights of Phonogram & Videogram Producers IFPI/Grammo. The next year, he became the first CEO of a Greek record label who developed the 360 model for SME's international and local artists,^[6] when he founded Day1's annex in Greece named as Show What Events and more and promoted with his team shows, exhibitions (such as Game On), festivals (such as Synch Festival), live concerts (such as Pet Shop Boys, Nine Inch Nails and Family Entertainment events (such as Disney on Ice, Scooby Doo etc. )

In 2011 Giarmenitis decided to step off his positions as a chairman of IFPI/Grammo and managing director of SME Greece in order to continue his career as the general manager of the Greek non-profit music licensing organization for the collective management of neighbouring rights of singers, musicians and producers, GEA-Grammo, Erato, Apollon.

Dimitris Giarmenitis

Early life and studies

Career

See also