Billboard Adds Maykel Piron To Its Indie Power Players List

Billboard is a byword for the rewarding of industry excellence, compiling a long established annual list of highly influential figures within the dance music sector, and honouring individuals behind record labels, music publishers, distributors and distribution companies whose efforts have pushed forward brands, imprints and business. Last year's inclusion of Armada Music's Maykel Piron, alongside COO Nadine van Bodegraven and US Radio Promoter George Hess, signified the giant strides the Armada name has been making - with no signs of either the CEO or the Dutch giant slowing down.

Since the Amsterdam-based record label started thinking big, Armada Music has made its global presence felt with new offices and expanded teams in some of the world's biggest dance music hotspots (e.g. the U.S., the U.K.). The end result, in addition to making Billboard's Power Player list for dance for a second consecutive year, is Maykel Piron making Billboard's Indie Power Players list as well, underlining his vision for and administration of the world's biggest independent label.

Maykel Piron: "It was always my dream to build a global music brand, and I think I can safely say that we've made that dream come true. Personally, my main goal is for us to remain the #1independent, go-to electronic music label for the rest of my career, and I know we have what it takes to realize that. Not just because we deliver the best possible environment for electronic music artists and producers, but also because our team consists of genuinely nice and good people who know how to bring out the best in our talents."

A dance music enthusiast as a child and a local party/bedroom DJ through his teens, Maykel Piron began his professional career working for a DJ promotion service prior to joining the Purple Eye Productions team, for whom he released records by the likes of Ferry Corsten, Marco V and Armin van Buuren. Moving into an A&R management role for Warner Music Benelux's dance division as the Millennium approached, Piron set future wheels in motion with the signing of scene superstars Above & Beyond. Next stop - the setting up of Armada Music, a childhood dream fulfilled, and the realising of an outlet that would go on to become a dominating tour de force covering the spectrum of dance music.