GROUP SPEED Expand U.S. Team with Jon Winchester

GYRO Group’s premium global artist services company GROUP SPEED marks its first birthday with the announcement of seasoned marketing expert, North Carolina-based hire Jon Winchester. Joining the team in the USA as Artist and Streaming Marketing Lead, this hire caps off a huge first year for GROUP SPEED which has been filled to the brim with major wins.

Jon brings with him over ten years of experience in key leadership roles for huge industry players, recently wrapping up as Director of Artist and Label Marketing at Virgin Music Group. He spent a total of five years with Universal Music Group and was Director of Artist and Label Marketing at Ingrooves. With a history of driving huge commercial success for acts like The 1975 and Steve Aoki, his passion for elevating the careers of independent talent remains strong.

GROUP SPEED General Manager Adrian Burke states:

“Jon joins us to help unlock the next chapter of GROUP SPEED’s growth. His leadership will be key to elevating the calibre of talent we work with, achieving outstanding outcomes for our roster, and deepening our global streaming relationships. Jon’s arrival strengthens our ambition to not just meet, but exceed the expectations of a world-class partner, while building GROUP SPEED’s reputation as a premium, globally respected home for artists.”

Jon says:

“I’m thrilled to be joining the team at GROUP SPEED. The wider GYRO Group has been making major moves, and it’s exciting to now be part of this fresh, creative extension of the company. GROUP SPEED brings a sharp, forward-thinking approach to marketing. I’m looking forward to adding my experience to the mix, collaborating with an amazing team and working with some incredible artists to continue building something special.”

From left: GYRO Group co-Founder and Head of Operations, Alex Wilson; GYRO Group co-Founder and CEO, Andy Irvine; GYRO Group co-Founder and CMO, Vivienne Mellish; GYRO Group SPEED General Manager, Adrian Burke.

In just twelve months, GROUP SPEED has established itself as one of the most agile and innovative players in the independent music services space. Spearheading Lithe’s “Fall Back” campaign, which was one of Australia’s largest indie artist exports of 2024, GROUP SPEED came out of the gate with a defining moment showcasing global reach and marketing precision. GROUP SPEED has already established itself as a sought-after partner, helping to drive millions of streams for artists. IN PARALLEL (UK), Raffa Guido (CH), f5ve (JPN), WILLOW (USA), MOLIY (GH), and Dom Dolla (AUS) are just a few on the quickly growing global client list.

The company is also building out a global roster with direct signings like Lowswimmer, breathe., and Midwxst and providing in-house services to GYRO and DistroDirect artists like M.I.A., Dustin Tebbutt, and BAD NOVA. Behind the scenes, the GROUP SPEED team have refined their tiered service architecture, expanded global DSP relationships and formalized the North America and Australia operating model, all while staying true to their mission: offering artists real strategy, integrity, and a world-class marketing partner.

Reinforcing its ongoing commitment to becoming Australia’s leading exporter of recorded music, GYRO Group showcased at SXSW Austin for the second consecutive year, and Lithe came in at #2 and #12 on Spotify Australia’s Global Impact List of 2024. The company is further driving their international presence, now with almost 60 staff globally. GROUP SPEED and these developments are part of the group’s broader mission to create a holistic revenue model for independent artists. With their growing team dedicated to artist success, GROUP SPEED and GYRO Group are redefining what is possible for independent music.