Nov 2024 – Jul 2025 · 8 mos · Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain · Hybrid

• Pibox.com is a streamlined one-stop shop solution for audio collaboration/project management.
• We have a mix of clients like Epidemic Sound, Power-Haus Creative, Sony Music, Universal Production Music, Bleeding Fingers (Hans Zimmer), and 1000s of independent creators.
• My role included :
• Led the commercial growth strategy, connecting business development, marketing (full stack), and partnerships.
• Built a 30-target partnership pipeline across CMOs, PROs, and leading music tech companies to drive brand awareness, co-marketing and product adaptation.
• Drove and diversified business development, targeting video game studios, audiobooks, record labels, and post-production houses (e.g, Deezer, Universal Production Music, Tidal, Epic Games, Penguin Random House, etc.)
• Conducted 60+ product demos with key ICPs, nurturing relationships across the start of the sales cycle. Supported the Product team in discovery by conducting client interviews, surveys, and competitor analysis to understand user needs, behaviours, and pain points.
• Expanded the sales funnel and introduced data-driven processes to improve visibility and conversion rates.
• Defined brand tone and messaging across multi-channel marketing campaigns.
• Developed and executed the conference strategy, representing Pibox at major industry events.
• Redeveloped the investor deck and company positioning for fundraising.

Oct 2024 – Present · 1 yr 6 mos · Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain / Greater Seattle, U.S.A · Remote

• Eleven75 is a curated Collective of top-tier on-demand professionals. Whether you are a groundbreaking startup or an established enterprise facing growth hurdles, Eleven75 delivers senior and executive-level talent.
• My role includes :
• Strategy & Execution
• Brand & Growth Marketing
• Product Development
• Launch Sales Optimization

Feb 2024 – Oct 2024 · 8 mos

• My role included :
• Directed end-to-end product and commercial execution, from go-to-market strategy and financial planning to delivery cadence, pipeline forecasting, and measurable market adoption.
• Expanded and activated a global music-industry partner ecosystem, unlocking new commercial alliances and co-creation opportunities that accelerated international reach.
• Led structured analysis of global music-industry dynamics, including competitive landscapes, regulatory regimes, pricing models, and governance to inform forward-looking business and product strategy.
• Tracked emerging industry and regulatory developments, particularly in Generative AI, to surface new monetisation opportunities.

Jul 2023 – Jan 2024 · 6 mos

• Identified over 40 ICPs for lead generation, product pilots, and partnerships across our AI tagging, Royalty Tracking and Music Data Analytics tools
• Conducted ongoing market/competitive analysis to uncover new opportunities, trends, and customer needs

May 2022 – Jun 2023 · 1 yr 1 mo

• Served as a core member of the HeartBeat App launch team, executing on GTM plans, securing strategic partnerships, and translating user feedback into product iterations."
• Advised C-suite on M&A opportunities (up to €15M), focusing on strategic value/acquihire potential.
• Market and competitor analysis per product segment to confirm validation/market fit pre-product investment/ideation

Jan 2021 – May 2022 · 1 yr 4 mos

• Led the build and dev of blockchain-supported products for the music industry, i.e NFTs, STOs (security tokens), copyright protection, and DeFi (yield farming/staking)
• Shipped two products in four months
• Pitching the company's mission/forthcoming products to major artists, management teams, agencies, and brands
• Media representation/speaker via The Observer, KEXP, Indie Week Canada, Wallifornia, Cointelegraph, Blockmagazin.de, etc.
• Liaison and guidance for the tech, marketing/PR, product, and legal teams

Nov 2021 – Jul 2025 · 3 yrs 8 mos · Barcelona / Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands - Remote

• Thunderboom Records is an independent innovation lab at the cutting edge of music and new technology such as AI and mixed reality.
• My role includes :
• Contributing to shaping the company narrative and long-term strategic positioning, aligning creativity with technology to support next-phase growth
• Advising leadership on expansion opportunities by applying a deep understanding of the global music-tech landscape

Mar 2019 – Feb 2020 · 11 mos · Barcelona/Doha, Qatar - Remote

• 42 is a traditional, annual, and high–profile event for tech giant Yandex. The private conference/think tank hosts global blue-chip CEOs to discuss the future of tech across various disciplines, as well as global issues related to the future development of humanity.
• My role was to curate, negotiate and contract the Intl speakers at Yandex's flagship future tech conference, Yandex 42/Qatari government, in line with the topic "Future Cities".
• Negotiated partnership, content, and endorsement contracts/remuneration directly with Steve Wozniak (Apple co-founder), Lee Polisano (President and founder of PLP Architecture), Petr Novikov (Airbnb/Samara), and John Cassidy (Cambridge Cancer Genomics).

Jan 2018 – Oct 2018 · 9 mos · Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain / Amsterdam, Holland · Remote

• Artists Interviews and festival reviews
• https://www.deephouseamsterdam.com/tag/rick-heffernan/

Apr 2017 – Present · 9 yrs · Barcelona / Venice Area, Italy - Remote · Remote

• My role includes :
• Responsible for the publishing rights of our catalogues, including global hit "Groovejet" by Spiller (feat. Sophie Ellis Bextor) - Sync'ed for AppleTV, D&G, Pioneer, UEFA, Trenitalia, etc.
• Negotiating/drafting contracts for performance, remix, sync, and commercial scoring.
• Driving sales via platforms Squarespace, Bandcamp, IG, and FB, increasing digital/physical on average 30% YoY
• BTL marketing campaigns on major digital/traditional platforms, i.e., Mixmag, BBC, Xlr8r, Resident Advisor, etc., to complement the paid, earned, and owned media marketing strategy.
• Media highlights //
• BBC, Resident Advisor, Mixmag, Dj Mag, Xlr8r, Red Bull Radio, Deep House Amsterdam, Audiomilk, Ransom Note, Dream Chimney, Tsugi, etc.
• Venue highlights //
• Pacha/Ibiza, Berghain/Berlin, Nitsa/Barcelona, Mamba Negra/Rio De Janeiro, Concrete/Paris, Ääniwalli/Helsinki, Bloc/Tel Aviv, Lux/Lisbon, Printworks/London, Pygmalion/Dublin, Volt/Milan, Kompass/Ghent, Opium/Vilnius, Zukunft/Zurich, Bar Americas/Guadalajara, etc.

Mar 2011 – Apr 2022 · 11 yrs 1 mo · Europe/Emerging Markets/Remote

• My role included :
• Co-founded/built a music-to-brand consultancy specialising in major endorsement and partnership deals within emerging markets
• Brands range from finance, tech, telecommunications, lifestyle, and premium alcohol, including Yandex, Red Bull, Hyundai, Pernod Ricard, Alfa-Bank, Miller Beer, Jagermeister, Martini, Puma, etc.
• Negotiating/executing all legal aspects of 7-figure partnership contracts i.e. performance, licensing, streaming, geo-gating, endorsement structure, marketing, and budget to maximize measurable ROI for all stakeholders
• Leveraging analytics to contract major international artists to global brands via 360° campaigns with a view to generating ATL/BTL marketable content, creating value for all stakeholders, and engaging/building the demographic
• Managing remote international cross-functional teams of up to 60 ppl
• Overseeing all PR campaign lifecycles
• A brief example of some of my past music to brand partnerships //
• Grimes (Miller Beer) / Justice (Miller beer) / Skepta (S7 airlines) / Charli XCX (LVMH) / Earl Sweatshirt (Tuborg) / George Clinton Parliament/Funkadelic (Afisha) / Action Bronson (Jameson) / Roisin Murphy (Vertu/Garage Magazine) / Mos Def (Coca-cola) / Kavinsky (Jameson Irish Whiskey) / A$AP Ferg (Afisha) Aloe Blacc (Afisha Picnic) / Denzel Curry (Bacardi) / Grace Jones (L'eto) / Chromeo (Miller Beer) / Nile Rodgers feat.Chic (Red Bull Music Academy) / Hot Chip (Miller Beer) / Fango (Golden Goose) / Busy P & Ed Banger Records (Miller Beer) / Crystal Fighters (Jameson Irish Whiskey) / Talib Kweli (Skoda) / RAC (Jameson) / Beth Ditto (Miller Beer) / Kurtis Blow (Faces & Laces) / Guy Gerber (Miller) / Breakbot (Red Bull) / Maya Jane Coles (Troyka Multispace) / Ryan Hemsworth (Jameson Irish Whiskey) / Aerial Pink (Jagermeister) / A-trak (Alfa Bank) / Moodymann (Olmeca Tequila) / Novelist (Jagermeister) / Acehood (Hyundai) / Bob Moses (Trokya Multispace) / Leftfield (Miller Beer) / AME (Tundra Vodka)

Jun 2005 – Feb 2011 · 5 yrs 8 mos · Greater Barcelona Metropolitan Area

• Executed global performance contracts ensuring favourable conditions and repeat business for the Barcelona-based music company and exclusive agency of Grammy-nominated artists Bob Sinclar, Dimitri from Paris etc.
• Conducted multi-platform B2C digital marketing campaigns resulting in a 30% increase in site use
• Represented the company at major conferences in Miami/Amsterdam/Barcelona, successfully growing new business relationships
• Conducted in-depth industry research gaining new business by identifying potential clients/demographics, and increasing the customer portfolio
• Provided international tour management/strategy, logistics, immigration processing and technical support to artists/promoters and clients

Jan 2004 – Apr 2008 · 4 yrs 3 mos · Greater Barcelona Metropolitan Area

• Regarded as one of the pioneers of the dance music scene, I re-introduced the legendary New York DJ to new/renewed markets by negotiating compilation release deals via a major independent label/distributor resulting in a significant profile increase and global touring
• Drafted and negotiated all performance contracts to ensure favourable conditions, increasing yearly income by 60% with touring across Europe, Australia, Asia and North America
• Utilized the Studio 54 brand to increase visibility in the market, gaining media exposure in major publications

Jan 2003 – May 2005 · 2 yrs 4 mos · Vilnius, Lithuania

• Headhunted/emigrated to a pre-E.U Vilnius to drive the brand/venue/agency towards a financially stable direction whilst raising the company profile across Lithuania, the Baltic states, and Europe
• Created first-time B2C multi-platform marketing concepts/partnerships/strategies for Phillip Morris, Heineken, and Nokia among others resulting in revenue increase, increased visibility, and new long-term branded partnership deals for the company whilst observing regulatory demands
• Built and led a team of over 20 full-time staff across creative, promo, and production whilst mentoring weekly team meetings
• Led negotiations with international artists and management teams, produced/booked over 104 electronic music shows per year
• Drove and scheduled the digital strategy and promotional campaigns whilst gathering post insights for improved performance
• Co-produced a branded 20,000 cap outdoor electronic music Summer festival with artists such as Orbital, Kerri Chandler, Jarvis Cocker, etc.