EMI Chief Sure All’s Well?

Within a month of telling the EMI workforce that all is well with the company, chief exec Elio Leoni-Sceti may find the same can’t be said of his own position.

His relationship with his boss, Terra Firma chief Guy Hands, is said to be so tense that there’s whispers that he could be gone by the end of the year, according to the New York Post.

Although Leoni-Sceti and Hands were and may still be personal friends, the paper claims sources within the company are saying their working relationship has become very strained.

The Post says the falling out is over the departure of Ronn Werre, the recently named chief operating officer for EMI North America who suddenly left for Sony Music and then returned, leaving Leoni-Sceti and Hands at odds over how the situation had been handled.

The paper has two unnamed sources with knowledge of the situation saying Hands directed Leoni-Sceti to make Werre a “take it or leave it” offer, apparently figuring that the music industry is in such disarray that he would jump at any new deal.

Werre not only rebuffed the offer but got himself a bigger job at rival Sony Music.

Hands is said to have hit the roof and told Leoni-Sceti to do whatever he had to do to get Werre back.

“I’d be surprised if Elio continues to put up with this shit,” one of the sources told the Post, adding that Leoni-Sceti had been “a good foot soldier” in carrying out Hands’ initial ill-conceived directive and is now rankled at being sent back to a supposed underling with his cap in his hand.

“Guy essentially forced Elio to do the deal with Ronn,” the EMI source explained. “He contradicted himself all through Elio.”

Werre reportedly returned after EMI doubled his previous salary and promised to push out execs that the prodigal North American chief ops officer doesn’t rate.

Sony Music slapped EMI and Werre with a breach-of-contract lawsuit, alleging that Werre broke a signed three-year, $3 million contract to return to EMI.

Representatives for EMI and Terra Firma are declining to comment, citing “an ongoing matter of litigation.”

Terra Firma reps have reportedly denied a rift between Leoni-Sceti and Hands. If he has the ambition to have set his sights on the top job, Werre may now be in a position to create one.