CMRRA President Paul Shaver to step down following SOCAN acquisition

Paul Shaver will step down as president of the Canadian Music Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA) on October 1, concluding a tenure that began in 2019. His departure follows the recent acquisition of CMRRA by SOCAN, a move intended to consolidate the distribution of performance and mechanical royalties.

Following the acquisition, SOCAN has appointed Veronica Syrtash to the newly created position of Chief Business Officer, Reproduction Rights for CMRRA. Syrtash, who previously served as CMRRA’s Senior Vice President of Business Affairs and Corporate Development, will oversee strategic leadership, licensing, rate setting, and business development to integrate CMRRA’s operations more closely with SOCAN.

During Shaver’s leadership, CMRRA experienced significant growth, with collections and client distributions increasing by over 120% since 2020. In 2024, the organization distributed $96 million in royalties to publishers and self-published songwriters.