Sulinna Ong has been promoted to global head of editorial at Spotify, the company tells Billboard. Ong was previously head of music for the U.K. and Ireland.
Ong joined Spotify in April 2019 as head of artist & label services and acting head of music culture & editorial in the U.K. and Ireland. Three months later, she was named head of music in the region — a role created specifically for her. In that position, Ong oversaw the streamer’s U.K. artist and label services department and its music culture and editorial team while reporting to U.K. and Ireland managing director Tom Connaughton. The news was first reported by Hits.
During her time at Spotify, Ong — the daughter of a Persian mother and a Chinese father who fled the Iranian revolution when she was a baby — has helped launch the streamer’s RADAR emerging artist program, which has spotlighted artists including Griff, Park Hye Jin, Joy Crookes and Young T & Bugsey.
Prior to Spotify, Ong served as global vp and head of marketing at rival streaming service Deezer for two-and-a-half years, working directly with labels and content creators. She kicked off her music career in 2004, when she was hired as an international marketing manager, artist development at Sony BMG Music. She later worked in a variety of artist management and marketing roles at The Family Entertainment, Live Nation, Silver Horse Entertainment and app developer WholeWorldBand.