Power 50 - #13: Susan Heymann

2017 was a watershed year for Susan Heymann. Well known for her rise within Chugg Entertainment from an assistant position to General Manager over the past 14 years – a role she’s held since 2016 – in the past 12 months she’s been able to use her experience and knowledge of the Australian touring landscape to conceive and deliver groundbreaking new ideas to a local audience.

The most outstanding of these achievements was the first ever all-female stadium shows in Australia that matched mysterious icon Sia with pop trio MO, electro-pop singer Charli XCX and local singer- songwriter Amy Shark. The two shows, held at Melbourne’s AAMI Park in November and Sydney’s Allianz Stadium in December, sold over 60,000 tickets. Despite some divisive reviews – a norm for the eclectic Sia – this celebration of women in popular music showcased the dedication of not only the promoter but also the artists involved, with the headliner committing to a frantic drive from Melbourne to make the Sydney show, famously oversharing, “We couldn’t catch a plane due to weather, so drove thirteen hours then blew a tire which has given me crazy diarrhea. Bear with me guys. I love you.”

Heymann continued her 10-year-long relationship with CMC Rocks, solidifying yet another sold out destination festival, a triumph that long-time country music partner, Rob Potts, was able to be part of before he suddenly and tragically passed away in October as the result of a motorcycle accident in Tasmania.

She focused on breaking new acts in 2017 with the company’s partners Penny Drop and Laneway Presents, including No Name, Billie Eilish and Loyle Carner. She also handled successful domestic tours from The Preatures, Pond and D.D Dumbo and enjoyed sell-out runs from her own personal childhood heroes, Alanis Morissette and Ben Folds.