Winarch Group appoints new heads of live and music divisions
Winarch Group has strengthened its leadership team with two senior hires.
The announcement:
Winarch Group has announced two senior appointments as it accelerates its growth in live entertainment, cultural infrastructure, and music-led retail experiences.
Blake Vanderwoude joins as head of Winarch Live, bringing more than 15 years’ experience across Australia’s sports, events, and entertainment industries.
Vanderwoude was most recently the event acquisition manager at Venues NSW, where he led the acquisition and delivery of world-class events, played a key role in the operational launch of Allianz Stadium, and negotiated major commercial partnerships with global promoters and sporting bodies.
Vanderwoude will lead Winarch’s expanding venue portfolio, championing Australian-led cultural infrastructure and embedding Winarch Live’s unique model as independent, promoter-agnostic venue specialists.
“Blake’s expertise in government engagement, commercial strategy and event acquisition makes him the ideal leader to advance our vision for Winarch Live as an artist and audience-first operator,” said Kyle McKendry, CEO, Winarch Group. “His focus on long-term stewardship and prosperity through place aligns perfectly with our values.”
Adam Slattery has been appointed head of Winarch Music, bringing more than 20 years of commercial leadership across retail, e-commerce, and customer experience. A former senior executive at Vodafone, Woolworths and American Express, Slattery has a proven record in brand transformation, omni-channel growth and customer engagement.
Slattery will lead Winarch’s growing music retail division, which includes the iconic Musos Corner in Newcastle and The Guitar Lounge in Sydney. With a deep passion for music culture and retail innovation, he will drive growth across these heritage brands, ensuring they continue to serve as trusted cultural hubs for musicians and communities.
“Adam’s ability to blend commercial acumen with cultural sensitivity makes him the perfect leader for Winarch Music. His vision will ensure our music businesses not only grow but also stay true to their community roots,” McKendry said.
Winarch Group continues to expand its footprint across entertainment and cultural infrastructure, with Winarch Live and Winarch Music joining divisions including Winarch Experience. Together, these businesses are redefining how venues, artists, brands and communities connect to create sustainable cultural and economic impact.
Touring the East Coast in November, Winarch Group are the presenting partners of Daniel Johns’ intimate What If The Future Never Happened? project including the release of his short film.
Source: Sound Story
