Denis Handlin

Early life and education Handlin was born in Brisbane in 1951 and educated at St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace. In June 2017 at the Queen's Birthday Honours List, Handlin was elevated to and awarded the Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), in recognition of "for distinguished service to the Australian recording industry, through leadership and mentoring roles, as a supporter of young artists, and to charitable organisations as a director, patron and contributor".

In February 2018, Handlin was announced as "the Number 1 most influential figure in the Australian music industry" by music industry publication, The Music. His departure was effective immediately and was announced by Sony Music's global boss Rob Stringer in an internal email. As he no longer worked at Sony Music, he could no longer be on the ARIA board and exited immediately.

Bullying and harassment allegations In October 2021, the Australian current affairs television program Four Corners aired interviews with Sony Music employees who alleged abuse, intimidation and bullying perpetrated by Handlin during his years in charge at Sony Music Australia. Handlin was alleged to have routinely singled out members of staff for humiliation and intimidation, which left many "traumatised" and resulted in rates of close to 50 per cent annual turnover of staff at the company by the late 1990s. 2012 Denis Handlin Worldwide Radio Summit Industry Awards Label Executive of the Year – Major 2017 Denis Handlin Queen's Birthday Honours Officer of the Order of Australia