Head Bitch in Charge
The women behind the scenes in the metal industry are something truly special. These panelists have built their careers from the ground up, becoming powerhouses in their fields and a force to be reckoned with. Join us as we discuss the steps each of these women took to get to where they are today. We will focus not on diversity, but rather the strong will and work ethic it takes to reach the level of success that earns the HBIC title. The music industry can be tough and quite cut-throat. These panelists have risen to the challenges we all face in a complex industry where only the strong survive and entitlement should never be presumed.
Friday 18. April 14:00 - Room: Central Park
Mod: Suzy Cole // Global Head of Metal & Hard Rock at Apple Music (US)
From her early days of taping songs off the radio and stealing her older sister’s metal, rock and punk CDs, to working in radio as both a programmer and on-air talent, to building and programming two streaming services from the ground up, Suzy Cole has spent her life surrounded by the music she loves and has worked diligently in turn to help build, grow and foster it. As the Global Head of Metal and Hard Rock at Apple Music for over a decade, Suzy has been a passionate champion and devoted supporter of all sounds heavy, hard, extreme and adjacent, and has carved her own space as one of metal's most respected behind-the-scenes personalities.
Jenny Douglas // 5B Artist Management (US)
Jenny Douglas toured the World for 15 years as a Front of House Engineer and Tour Manager in a time where women weren't that commonplace in the crew bus. Looking to expand her skill set, she settled into a role as Touring Director at 5B Artist Management in 2016. No stranger to hard work, she has done all other aspects of touring, including Production Management, merchandising, VIP Meet & Greets, marketing, art shows, video shoots, and social media. You can still find her as a weekend warrior behind a soundboard or Tour Managing a band on a random one-off. When she is not working in music she enjoys riding motorcycles, drinking coffee, traveling, hiking, and being a vegan foodie in her home base of Los Angeles, CA.
Runa Lunde Strindin // Midgardsblot Festival (NO)
Runa Lunde Strindin is the founder, owner and director of the Midgardsblot Metal Festival. She is also the owner and CEO of the festival's operating company YME Drift A/S, and has 20 + years’ experience in the Live industry. Runa spent six years in Business school, ending up with a bachelor’s in arts management and marketing. She went on to work for the Inferno Metal festival, becoming the head of PR. She’s been a board member for the Norwegian Live Organisation (NKA) and has been a juror for the Metal category at Norwegian Grammies “Spellemann” the past seven years.
Runa started the Midgardsblot Metal festival in the Borre park by the Viking Grave Mounds in 2015. Midgardsblot combines lectures, talks and exhibitions, with a diverse music programme challenging the classic metal festival set-up, by including a wide range of musical genres from folk, rock, pop to Electronica, Viking- and world music. The ninth edition takes place from 13th-16th of August 2025.
Lulu Davis // Bands Management / Raising Rockstars (GB)
Lulu Davis is an artist manager in the progressive metal realm, guiding the careers of genre-defining acts like Unprocessed, Caligula’s Horse, Eurovision finalists Voyager, and Earthside. With over a decade of experience, she has played a pivotal role in developing the modern progressive music landscape and opening. Beyond management, Lulu works as a music business consultant and is pioneering a new wave of educational tools and resources for developing artists and music industry professionals. Her new initiative Raising Rockstars seeks to carve out a unique space in the rock and metal education sector. Her work bridges the gap between artistry and business, empowering the next generation of musicians and industry leaders.
Henriette Aaberg // Showlab (NO)
Henriette started Working in the music industry when she was 21 at Norwegian promoter and booking Agency Atomic (now All Things Live). She has been booking and promoting bands for some time. In 2018 she started Working at Showlab and has focused on Tour management and festivals. Henriette has worked with Inferno festival for over 10 years.
She has been in the Metal jury for the Norwegian Grammy, spellemannsprisen several years and in 2018 She won the WILMA award for Production coordinator of the year.