Following the announcement of Sony Corporation’s COVID-19 Global Relief Fund, Sony Music Group Chairman Rob Stringer sent a personal note to all SMG employees. To continue our efforts of transparency and togetherness during this time of isolation and social distancing, Stringer’s note is shared below in full.

Dear Colleagues,

We are well into another eventful week working from home at much of our company and I wanted to take a quick moment to directly communicate with you again.

It continues to be incredibly heartening to see how our Sony Music family has mobilized during this time. These are times that reveal our true character, and at every turn you are demonstrating what I already know: that we are a company made up of compassionate, caring and creative business people.

While many of us are staying inside, you’ve continued to reach outward, offering assistance to colleagues and neighbors in need, even as your own families adjust to our new normal. At the same time, our artists and songwriters haven’t skipped a beat either, teaming up with a number of global charities to raise money with concerts livestreamed from their living rooms as they encourage fans to donate to regional and international relief efforts. It’s a reminder of the power of music to bring people together and through hard times. 

I know we’re all searching for more opportunities to help those directly affected by the crisis inside and outside the music community and I’m proud that our company is doing its part. As you saw, earlier today, Sony Corp announced the launch of its new Sony Global Relief Fund, a $100 million fund dedicated to bringing relief to medical workers on the front lines worldwide; protecting children and educators facing challenges arising from school closures; and supporting creators, artists and other partners in the entertainment community who have been impacted by COVID-19.

I am also pleased that we are introducing a matching donation program across our entire organization for employees. This means we will match your donations made to select pandemic relief efforts around the world and more details will be shared in the coming days. 

In the past week, the level of collaboration between the Music Group and Sony Corp to develop this initiative has been inspiring teamwork-wise, but I want to assure you that these steps are just the beginning of our response efforts. 

We are working together with your leaders and Sony Corp at the highest level to continue to evolve our response accordingly in the coming weeks and months locally and globally. We’re lucky to have team members across the globe committed to helping their communities in addition to our artists and songwriters, and I look forward to working with you all to support those impacted by COVID-19.

This week marks the start of our new fiscal year. Of course, like every business affected by this crisis, we now know that the next 12 months will bring challenges unlike any we’ve experienced before. Nevertheless, I am confident that we have what it takes to overcome the headwinds we’re facing as long as we remain focused on our values and continue building on our strengths. Whatever lies ahead, we will continue to put our employees, artists, and songwriters first in every action we take. 

Thanks to each and every one of you for continuing to check in and collaborate with each other as we navigate this new and ever-changing reality. This unscheduled break from our routines is a valuable reminder to all of us to prioritize what matters most in life: the health and safety of us and our loved ones. I hope you will keep finding new ways to stay connected, stay well, and stay positive in the days and weeks ahead.

Rob