From a seat at the GRAMMYS to building connections between the world’s largest online social network and the music industry, Meta Director of Music Publishing Partnerships and Strategy Morgan Simes holds a unique role.

A Condell’s House Old Boy from 1997–2001, Morgan has drawn on his musical, legal, and strategic skills and experience to redefine music publishing and enhance songwriter connection and exposure in a rapidly changing online environment.

Morgan recalls discovering a “love of music at Christ’s College that set a course for the rest of my life”. Describing his favourite memories, Morgan highlights “singing in the choir and the tradition of the whole school singing in the Chapel”.

Fast forward to 2026, and that passion for music remains. Having joined Meta in 2021 to lead strategy for international music publishing, the former lawyer, management consultant, and musician was then asked to lead the global partnerships team. He now oversees partnerships with the music publishing industry and “implements the deals required to bring commercial music to around half the world’s population across Facebook, Instagram. and WhatsApp”.

Based in London, Morgan guides a team spread across the United Kingdom, the United States, Singapore, Australia, and Brazil. He remains strongly committed to helping artists and songwriters, both those who are well-known and those just starting out.

“Supporting artists and songwriters is very important, both within my work and also outside where I have served as a trustee or board member or advisor for several music groups and organisations, ensuring that I give back to the industry,” Morgan says.

His first musical experience was as a Christ Church Cathedral chorister while attending The Cathedral Grammar School before coming to Christ's College.

“It was an intense experience and having not particularly enjoyed it, I asked not to be drafted into the College choir as a 3rd former,” he says. “At that time, everyone had to have a voice test with Director of Music Paul Ellis and, if you were good enough, you pretty much were in the choir. However, over the following three years, I came to miss singing whenever I heard the choir and came back to it on my own terms in 6th Form.”

After being selected for the New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir – and with his passion for singing “ignited” – Morgan would go on to chase his dream role and win a place as a choral scholar at the University of Cambridge.

“After school, I studied law and commerce at the University of Canterbury,” he says. “I also held a choral scholarship at the university and Christ Church Cathedral, singing with the University Chamber Choir and the Cathedral Choir.”

Initially, “I fell into my decision to study law, with commerce as an add on”.

“I wanted to keep my options open and liked the idea of some sort of profession, and, growing up in Christchurch, at the time I had no concept of my possible future roles.”

After graduating, Morgan focused on his law career, being admitted to the bar while working at Simpson Grierson in Auckland. However, his love of singing was paramount.

“I took a year out to study for a Master of Law at the University of Cambridge,” he says. “I also realised a dream I had had since 6th Form of going to Cambridge – not so much for its education, but because I wanted to be a choral scholar there and was fortunate to sing in the famous choir of Clare College.”

Morgan soon realised that “my heart wasn’t in being a lawyer and I was more interested in business problems than legal ones, as well as music, having continued to sing on the side in Auckland”.

With his now wife, Morgan decided to find a new pathway and moved to London to target a business role.

“After many applications – and many misses – I was offered a management consultant role at Bain & Company. Over the next three years, I made the most of the amazing training in business strategy, although the travel, hours, and pressure were intense.”

He then “had the good fortune to hear about a role at PRS (Performing Rights Society)”.

PRS licenses songwriters’ and publishers’ works in the UK and around the world – “everyone from Paul McCartney and Adele, down to people starting out in their careers”.

“Strategy roles in music are very rare, so perhaps it was fate that I came across this position. PRS was looking to make its first full-time strategy hire and, with a strategy and legal background and some interest in music – although no understanding of how the music business worked – I was lucky to get the role. I gained great experience about the complex world of music rights and licensing, particularly in the digital space.”

So ‘fate’ then opened the global door to the Meta stage, with Morgan, in turn, helping to open up the international platform to music creators, supporting them to manage their music rights and utilise technology to connect with fans in multi-layered ways.

Today, Morgan represents Meta around the world, including attending the GRAMMY Awards and The BRIT Awards, and leading investment in rights management, data, and reporting to support the payment of artist royalties.

Most importantly, he still loves to sing, as a member of an award-winning chamber choir, The Epiphoni Consort, with its own international fanbase. Of course, you can find The Epiphoni Consort on Instagram or Facebook.