Michael Greaves, Account Manager, Film and Television

Michael Greaves, Account Manager, Film and Television, arrived at ole in November 2009 shortly after the company’s publishing co-ownership and worldwide administration deal with his former employer Cookie Jar Entertainment and their growing music catalogue. ole is one of the largest publishers of children’s TV music in the world. Michael’s hiring was timely in the light of the Cookie Jar deal and the recent signing of a co-ownership deal with Random House Children’s Entertainment for all the compositions in the children’s TV series The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That.

When it comes to the business of children's television production, Michael is one "cat" who knows a lot about that. Not only does he bring to the position the extensive experience he gained working in the Music Royalties department of Cookie Jar but also a depth of understanding of how the wheels turn and the gears shift in the music industry. He's a musician (trumpet) himself with previous practical experience in publishing, sales, record production and engineering. While attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree, majoring in music business management and music production and engineering, he interned with Universal Music in Massachusetts.

"I had a very good set of teachers at Berklee who told me what avenues I could pursue in the industry," recalls Michael, a Toronto native. "Initially, I liked the idea of A&R: discovering talented artists and helping nurture them. When I did my internship with Universal, my eyes were really opened to publishing. When I finished there, I was looking to break into the industry, in Toronto preferably. Initially, the opportunities weren't readily available so I started in the business as a recording engineer, working between here and Barbados helping a number of bands with recording, editing and mixing songs and assisting in contract negotiations."

Unwavering in his desire to work on the business side of the music industry, preferably in publishing, he found his opening at Cookie Jar before moving on to ole. Here his knowledge of the children's television production business is not only an asset in terms of ole's future growth in this area but also as part of customer service for the company's film and television clients.

"One of the things I noticed most when I arrived at ole was how professional they are in getting in quick and getting things done, which is somewhat unique in this industry," says Michael. "More than anything, it's causing me to be much more professional, thorough, and efficient and more direct in how I approach projects. It's very exciting to be a part of ole

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