Ken Ashdown

As a former music journalist, indie label entrepreneur and major label executive, Ken Ashdown worked with some of the music industry's biggest stars of the 1980s and 90s including Shania Twain, Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, John Mellencamp, Dire Straits, New Order, David Bowie, the Pixies and U2.

Ken served as Vice President of the Mercury/Polydor division PolyGram Group Canada and later VP at QDesign Corporation, a leading provider of advanced digital audio compression technologies (now part of Digital Theater Systems). His media appearances have ranged from the CBC to MuchMusic, from the Globe and Mail to Adam Curry's Cyber Sleaze, and in 1994 he was profiled in a TV news feature series entitled The Hit Man.

He is former Head of the ground-breaking Entertainment Business Management transmedia program at Vancouver Film School, where he continues to teach. Voted Instructor of the Year five times by students of the EBM program, he has also earned multiple awards and nominations for teaching excellence. He earned his Master of Arts (MA) degree in Music Business Management (with Distinction) from the University of Westminster in London, England. When not writing or teaching he is curating the back catalogue to his independent music publishing & recording company, Waste Island Records. His passions include team and leadership skills development and all things environmentally sustainable.