His appointment followed a long search by head-hunters for someone able to manage a company that will inevitably become more complex as it grows and its supply chain lengthens.
"The head-hunters got me in as they thought I would be someone they would be interested in, " said the man who insists he can still be addressed by his nickname, Smudger.
Hancock, along with producer David Rubinson and Steve Pond (author of Head Hunters: The Making of Jazz's First Platinum Album) recently reflected on Head Hunters' creation, as well as its long-lasting impact.