Island Records Promotes Marshall Nolan to EVP, Head of Commercial Strategy
Written by djfrosty on April 8, 2025
Island Records has promoted Marshall Nolan to executive vp, head of commercial strategy. Based in New York, Nolan reports directly to Imran Majid and Justin Eshak, co-chairmen and CEOs of Island Records.
In his enhanced role — he was previously svp — Nolan will continue leading streaming, physical and D2C strategy for the label. Since joining UMG in 2022, he has been pivotal to the breakthrough campaigns of Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan, the development of rising stars Gigi Perez, Lola Young, and Charley Crockett, and the continued success of Bon Jovi, Shawn Mendes, Demi Lovato and The Killers.
Last September, Nolan was recognized as Billboard’s executive of the week for his role in orchestrating the leave-no-stone-unturned commercial strategy (radio promo, streaming, multiple variants to boost sales) behind Carpenter’s album Short N’ Sweet, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. “The plan from the start was that every detail mattered,” Nolan told us. “We knew to double down on her strengths, in areas like e-commerce, and once we built a rhythm there, it afforded us the time to nurture elements that still had room for growth.”
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Prior to joining UMG, Nolan spent five years at Columbia Records as senior director of the commercial team, working on key projects for artists such as Adele, Harry Styles, Hozier, Beyoncé and The Neighbourhood.
Eshak and Majid expressed their excitement about Nolan’s promotion, highlighting his leadership, deep understanding of music and visionary approach to commercial strategy. “His strong, trusted relationships with our label’s artist roster and their respective teams have led to some of the most exciting commercial marketing campaigns in recent memory,” they said in a joint statement. “We’re excited for his next phase and the opportunities he’ll bring to our team and artists we support.”
Nolan emphasized the artist-first culture at Island, saying “Nothing is off limits if it benefits the artist, which opens up the boundaries and enables us to effectively deliver at the highest level on their behalf.”
The executive is also committed to philanthropy, raising awareness and funds for metastatic breast cancer research through organizations like BCRF and The Pink Agenda, inspired by his sister-in-law cancer battle.