Executive Turntable
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Range Music has promoted Jared Cotter to partner, the company announced Thursday (May 23). Cotter, who has been at Range since 2022, had been vp of A&R for the management company, which operates as the music division under the umbrella of Range Media Partners. Cotter manages Paul Russell, whose song “Lil Boo Thing” reached No. […]
Live entertainment executive Jason Miller is leaving operational responsibilities at ELA, the joint venture he launched with global entertainment leader CTS Eventim in 2021. Miller continues to hold an ownership stake in the concert promotion company. During his nearly three years as CEO, Miller, based in Los Angeles, led ELA to produce shows in all […]
It’s time for another spin around the Executive Turntable, Billboard’s comprehensive(ish) compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across music. We also have a weekly interview series spotlighting a single executive, if that’s your thing. After focus group testing we landed on “Executive of the Week” — find them here.
Ralph W. Peer was named managing director of peermusic UK, based in London. In addition to his new role, Peer will continue directing company initiatives in Australasia, Africa and the Middle East, with his new mouthful title being managing director of U.K. and Australasia and vp of peermusic’s African and Middle East operations. Peermusic UK staff will report directly to Peer, with peermusic Europe president Nigel Elderton continuing to oversee creative and administrative operations throughout Europe. Peer, who is the grandson of late peermusic founder Ralph S. Peer, joined the family business full time in August 2019 as vp for Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East but soon added business affairs work in the London office as well. “We remain steadfastly focused on providing our peermusic roster of artists, songwriters, and producers with the very best in executive talent, A&R prowess, sync, and administrative expertise,” said Elderton. “With this move, we know our U.K. office remains in very capable hands as we continue to expand peermusic as the preeminent independent music publishing company throughout Europe.”
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Brendan Anthony joined Big Loud Texas as vice president of the recently launched label. The delicious sounding BLT was founded by Miranda Lambert and Jon Randall in late 2023 in partnership with — you guessed it — Big Loud Records. The Austin-based Anthony will oversee the label’s operations and work closely with Lambert, Randall and the Big Loud brass in Nashville. Prior to joining Big Loud, Anthony spent nearly a decade as director of the Texas Music Office, which guides music policy statewide in close partnership with the governor’s office and other agencies. In 2026, he created the Music Friendly Texas Communities program, which helps connect dozens of cities across the state to encourage economic development of local industry stakeholders. Earlier in his career, Anthony served as head of e-commerce and artist relations for ONELIVE Media. “We’re so proud to have Brendon join us at Big Loud Texas,” shared Lambert. “He is as passionate as we are about the Texas music scene and has knowledge that will benefit artists in so many ways.”
Cumulus Media appointed Travis Daily as vice president of Country, putting him in charge of content for the company’s 55 country stations in the U.S. He replaces Charlie Cook, who departs at the end of the month. Prior to joining Cumulus in Nashville, Daily was program director at Beasley’s WQYK in Tampa and before that spent 17 years in vaulted roles across the Clear Channel/iHeartRadio empire. “When Charlie Cook told me he was departing, I was faced with one of the tougher decisions of my career: who could I trust to lead and represent our vast fleet of important Country stations with the finesse and character that Charlie did? On every front, Travis rises to the demands,” said Brian Philips, chief content officer.
Burr
credit Katie Kauss
The Recording Industry Association of America elevated Erin D. D. Burr to senior vice president of media relations and Matthew Bass to vp of research. Burr joined the RIAA in August 2022 following a nearly 12-year tenure as a communications executive at Big Machine Label Group. In addition to handling press outreach, Burr handles strategy surrounding Gold & Platinum certifications at the music industry lobby group. Bass has spent the last decade at RIAA, where he helps craft the org’s highly researched annual reports. He has also played a major role in modernization efforts across RIAA’s Gold & Platinum program. “Erin and Matt are stars who have already shined so brightly at RIAA and in their new roles will be even more visible and effective,” said RIAA chairman and CEO Mitch Glazier. “As the music community works together to address unprecedented new opportunities and challenges from the meteoric rise of streaming to the current effort to chart a path towards responsible and pro-artist AI, we are all lucky to have Erin and Matt embracing greater responsibilities.” Erin can be reached at eburr@riaa.com while Matthew is at mbass@riaa.com.
BMG promoted Marc Johlen to managing director for operations in Germany, Switzerland and Australia (GSA), the company’s third largest territory after the U.S. and U.K. Johlen joined BMG in 2020 following a tenure at Budde Music to lead the GSA publishing team, which has since signed Robin Schulz, Bunt., Michael Schulte, AVAION and other big names to its roster of writers and producers. Johlen will be based in Berlin and report to Maximilian Kolb, evp of Continental Europe repertoire & marketing. “Marc is a forward-thinking leader with a proven track record in publishing, artist management and career development,” said Kolb. “His global perspective and local expertise make him an ideal fit for this role within our new organizational structure.”
Sony Music Publishing promoted Nasra Artan to the new position of head of international A&R, effective immediately. She’ll work across all of SMP’s A&R teams to build opportunities and drive collaborative initiatives for roster writers. The London-based Artan, who joined Sony in 2022 as European A&R manager, will continue reporting to SMP’s president of international, Guy Henderson. “In addition to her skill set, energy and drive, Nasra approaches the creative world with an open mind, knowing that great songwriters and big songs can come from anywhere,” said Henderson.
Shareholders recently affirmed Utopia Music‘s plan to rebrand as Proper Group, which now intends to move more of its operations from Switzerland to London as the music distribution and tech company eyes a “more focused approach that aligns with its long-term goals.” As a result of the realignment, the company said the “Swiss entity is being right-sized to reduce operational costs,” bringing an undisclosed number of layoffs. “As we step into a new era of growth and technological advancement at Proper Group, I want to express my sincere sorrow that part of our journey involves parting ways with some of our valued colleagues,” said Michael Stebler, who is wrapping up his brief tenure as transitional CEO. The company said it would instead split its focus into two areas, with Drew Hill taking on the role of CEO of Proper Distribution and a TBA executive to lead its Music Tech division.
Nick Spampanato has been promoted from svp of venue operations to chief operation officer of venues for global live leader AEG Presents. The LA-based executive oversees the business and operations for AEG’s 50 owned and operated clubs and theaters, and reports directly to Brent Fedrizzi, AEG Presents President, North American Regional Offices. Spampanato joined AEG in early 2019 following a 10-year tenure at MSG Entertainment, where he rose to svp and oversaw all operation of the legendary Forum arena in Inglewood, Calif. Prior to MSG, Spampanato put in over 17 years in management at venues owned by Live Nation. “His track record speaks for itself,” noted Fedrizzi. “He’s got an institutional knowledge of venue management at every level, from clubs and theatres all the way up to arenas. Nick has a clear vision on how to effectively manage our critical portfolio of owned and operated venues, and how to propel the business forward.”
Former Billboard news director Colin Stutz recently joined Stand Together Music as managing director of artist relations. At his new gig, Stutz is tasked with building a team that will assist and champion artists looking to deliver on ways to push social change. Stand Together Music works alongside music industry stakeholders to co-create custom-fit solutions around societal challenges including criminal justice, addiction recovery, education, free speech and ending the war on drugs. (Stand Together recently partnered with Marcus King to launch a foundation to support sober touring musicians.) “With his wealth of experience and passion for driving social change through music, Colin is a great addition to our team,” said Colette Weintraub, head of Stand Together Music, Sports & Entertainment. “Together, we look forward to empowering artists to make a meaningful impact on the issues that matter most to our society.”
Educational Media Foundation (EMF) CEO Todd Woods has resigned. EMF is the Tennessee-based parent company of Christian radio networks Air1 and K-LOVE. Woods will continue in an advisory role through June, while EMF board chair Tom Stultz takes on the role of interim CEO. Woods joined the company in 2022 and rose to CEO in March 2023.
Universal Music Group promoted Todd Goodwin to senior vp of culture marketing and creative strategy at °1824, the creative and marketing division he launched with the label in 2019. °1824 provides UMG labels with services including content creation, public relations, A&R scouting, brand partnerships, strategic insights and experiential marketing. Additionally, Goodwin’s team produces live-streaming events. Goodwin will remain based at UMG’s Santa Monica office and continue reporting to Michele Anthony, Executive Vice President of Universal Music Group. “Todd has created a best-in-class creative resource as well as a path for the next generation of industry leaders,” Anthony said. “I’m thrilled to announce his promotion and congratulate the 1824 team on all of their accomplishments.”
Elsewhere at UMG, the label group elevated Sanujeet Bhujabal to managing director of Universal Music India and South Asia. Previously the evp of content at the label, Bhujabal will report to Devraj Sanyal, the chairman and CEO of India & South Asia. UMISA also said Viral Jani had been appointed chief revenue officer.
Former Nettwerk Music Group executive Jon Granat and ex-Ipecac Recordings general manager Marc Schapiro launched Auxilium Music, a highly curated and boutique publishing administration company. Auxilium’s inaugural roster since coming into existence earlier this year includes Melvins legend Buzz Osborne, post-metal artist Bryant Clifford Meyer of Isis and Palms, Michael Crain of thrash supergroup Dead Cross and singer-songwriter Fay Wolf, among others. Indie-minded and self-published songwriters/artists itching for a more personalized option for publishing administration can hit up Granat and Schapiro at info@auxiliummusic.com.
TaP Music welcomed veteran artist manager Will Bloomfield to the team as co-president and head of global artist management. He’ll work alongside co-presidents Wendy Ong and Anna Neville, as well as co-founders Ben Mawson and Ed Millett, to oversee all areas of the TaP business (TaP Management, non-profit TaP Futures and TaP2, formerly TaP Sports). Bloomfied spent the last two decades at Modest! Management, where he rose to partner working a stacked roster of talent including One Direction, 5 Seconds of Summer, MNEK and more. (Back when he was eligible, Bloomfield was featured in our 40 Under 40 list.) “Will joins us at a time of great change in the industry and what we believe is an opportunity for managers and artists,” said Mawson and Millett. “TaP’s founding principle of self sufficiency informs our approach to management now more than ever, with a range of specialists across all key areas.”
PULSE Music Group promoted Annie Aberle to senior vp and head of creative. Previously vp of A&R, with a roster including James Blake, Ryan Beatty and Jack Rochon, Aberle’s expanded remit now includes overseeing creative strategy for the company’s roster of writers and producers across its publishing division. Aberle is based at the company’s Los Angeles headquarters and reports directly to co-CEO Scott Cutler and group president Ashley Calhoun. “One of the most essential parts of this job is remaining a fan first—Annie does not lose sight of that,” said Calhoun. “Annie knows how to deliver a strategy for each of our clients that makes them inspired to show up and show out in the studio every day.”
UTA went on a parter promotion spree, elevating two dozen staffers to the lofty title across media, publishing, talent, publishing and other disciplines. In the music division, new partners include Obi Asika, Kevin Gimble, Steve Gordon, Jeffrey Hasson and Matt Meyer. In comedy touring, Doug Edley and Heidi Feigin made the grade. Head over to THR for a full rundown of the promotions.
Music marketing veteran Joe Aboud officially launched consultancy firm 444 Sounds, with a roster including Sony Music, UnitedMasters, Major Recordings and artists such as Jung Kook and Enrique Iglesias. Aboud was most recently vp of marketing and streaming at HITCO, and prior to that worked as a marketing manager at Atlantic Records.
NASHVILLE NOTES: Natalie Kilgore has boomeranged back to Brown Sellers Brown, rejoining the music company as vp of publicity. Kilgore previously held the same role at BSB from 2020 until late 2022, when she joined BBR Music Group to develop its in-house media relations department. BSB is home to two labels, Quartz Hill Records and Stone Country Records … Soft rocker Walter Egan — whose “Magnet and Steel” was a top 10 hit in 1978 — joined Nashville’s Hippie Radio 94.5 to host a show called “Walt’s Record Vault” … Primary Wave Music officially launched Sun Label Group as a biome for legendary labels like Sun Records and Gaither Music, among others. Paul Sizelove will oversee SLG as president, with each of the labels — which also includes Green Hill Music, Rural Rhythm and emeraldwave by Green Hill — retaining their own leadership and organizational teams.
Global Merchandising Services hired veteran executive Lisa Streff as senior vp of licensing & brand development for North America. Founded in 2008, Global works with artists on design, product development, branding, manufacturing, and direct sales of licensed merch. Streff, who was most recently svp of global licensing for UMG’s Epic Rights and Bravado units, will focus on growing the North American licensing programs for Global’s roster of clients.
MNRK Music Group promoted Ian “J.Y.” Williams to senior director of A&R, in charge of signing and developing untapped talent for the label. Williams joined MNRK in March 2022 as director of A&R and since then has played a pivotal role in developing acts including Kash Doll, K. Michelle, Tyfontaine, OBN Jay, C Stunna and Neek Bucks, among others. Prior to MNRK, Williams worked in artist management at Atlantic Records and has consulted artists through Def Jam, EMPIRE and RCA.
Music consultancy firm Huxley hired Jordan Shepley as associate director of publicity and Chisomo Phiri as communications manager. Shepley will help oversee publicity for Huxley’s roster, which includes J Balvin, Kelly Lee Owens, Munya Chawawa, Calvin Harris and A24 Music. Phiri will handle corporate communications for clients Three Six Zero, Dirty Hit and SailP. In addition, Huxley has also promoted Emily Connick to junior publicist and has hired Tom O’Sullivan, who joins from Sold Out Advertising, as a team assistant.
Concert and festival promoter FKP Scorpio is widening its focus to cover exhibitions, family events and special projects with the rebranded FKP Scorpio Entertainment. FKPE’s leadership team includes James Cassidy and Barry Campbell, who have been appointed president and senior promoter, respectively. Also joining the team are Nathan Birch as head of ticketing, Daisy Parry as special events coordinator, Suzy Bryant as marketing consultant, and Ollie Catchpole as comedy promoter.
AI-driven music financing platform beatBread hired Julian Dunn as director of business affairs. A former corporate attorney, Dunn most recently worked in the Bay Area startup scene at Segment and Hightouch.
ICYMI:
Lucian Grainge
UMG chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge‘s pay package for 2023 was approved by shareholders … Downtown Music elevated Tom Allen to president of its newly hatched royalties and financial services division … Warner Music restructured its Mexican music division but did it in-house … and Brent Fedrizzi (‘memba him from the Nick Spampanato blurb?) was named president of AEG Presents‘ North American regional offices.
Last Week’s Turntable: Allison Moorer Joins Country Hall
Downtown Music has launched a new royalties and financial services division called DR&FS, which will streamline all of its royalty services, accounting and payments systems, the company announced Tuesday (May 14). The division is an outgrowth of Curve Royalty Systems, a royalty processing platform acquired by Downtown in January 2023. Curve’s founder, Tom Allen, has been […]
Warner Music is restructuring its Mexican music division to strengthen its market presence and product quality, the label tells Billboard. The revamped division will feature a culturally attuned A&R team and a strategic marketing framework designed to promote artist development across multiple territories.
The initiative will be led by Tomas Rodríguez, president of Warner Music Mexico & Mexican Music, who will be spearheading the restructured division from Mexico. “The expertise, adaptability, and market acumen of the Mexican Music team will bolster our vision for the genre’s development and globalization, cementing Warner as a protagonist,” he said in a statement.
Rubén Abraham, Warner Music’s GM of Mexican music, will oversee the A&R and marketing teams from Los Angeles, aligning strategies across the United States and Mexico. “We’re primed to offer the industry’s premier platform for the genre, supported by top-notch professionals and tailored negotiation options that cater to both present needs and future prospects of Mexican Music,” he said.
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The division’s A&R team will include Brian Plascencia as director of A&R. Plascencia brings extensive experience from previous roles at Universal Music and Univision Records and as a West Coast label manager at Machete Music, where he was instrumental in launching artists such as Larry Hernandez, Fidel Rueda, El Potro de Sinaloa and Roberto Tapia. As a founding partner at Alianza Records, Plascencia has also developed artists like Grupo H-100 and Edicion Especial.
Elsewhere, the A&R team will include associate director of A&R Armando López, who brings over a decade of expertise in marketing, musical production and concert promotion. Cesar Carrillo has been appointed senior manager of A&R, with an 18-year track record in the regional Mexican music scene. His experience spans music production, artist management for acts like Tomas Ballardo and Los Buitres de Culiacán and booking for Legado 7 with Lumbre Music. AT FM Entertainment, he assisted in managing schedules for música mexicana giants such as Ramón Ayala, Banda Machos and Fidel Rueda.
María Angela Batiz, the label’s director of marketing for Mexican music, will continue to play a crucial role with her extensive experience and expertise in the genre, leading the development of marketing strategies and campaigns across the department.
Warner Music’s expansion in Mexican music is supported by its collaboration with the company’s independent distribution and label services arm ADA, enabling a range of services and partnership opportunities.
Warner Music’s Mexican music roster also includes Grupo Codiciado, El Komander, Pesado, DannyLux and Los Aptos.
It’s time for another spindle around the Executive Turntable, Billboard’s comprehensive(ish) compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across music. On Thursday we revealed this year’s Country Power Players list, where Big Loud partner and CEO Seth England was named top executive and WME’s Jay Williams earned the peer-voted Power Players’ Choice Award.
BMG‘s new head of global corporate communications is Kristal McKanders Dube, who joins the music company following a six-year tenure leading media strategy for Warner Chappell Music. McKanders Dube will stay in Los Angeles but report to BMG’s Berlin-based chief executive Thomas Coesfeld; her main role will be to spearhead both internal and external communications effort while also connecting the dots between BMG and its parent company Bertelsmann. Prior to joining Warner, where she held the position of svp of communications and marketing, McKanders Dube worked in the consumer brand and luxury hospitality space with IHG Hotels & Resorts, and agencies MSL Group and Jackson Spalding. She succeeds Steve Redmond as BMG’s communicator-in-chief.
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“It’s an exciting time at BMG with the company uniquely positioned for growth in a rapidly evolving music landscape, and we’re happy to have Kristal join us at such a pivotal moment and bring a fresh perspective to our business,” said Coesfeld. “Kristal’s innate storytelling ability, coupled with her expertise in corporate and music publishing communications, makes her an invaluable addition to our team.”
Meanwhile…
Arista Records upped their co-heads of urban music, Kendell “Sav” Freeman and Khris Riddick-Tynes, to senior vp of A&R. The NYC-based Freeman and LA-er Riddick-Tynes will continue reporting to Arista president David Massey. Since first being named co-heads of urban music in 2021, the pair have added heat to Arista’s roster in the form of rising artists Lola Brooke, Hurry Hazan and Skylar Blatt, while Riddick-Tynes has been instrumental in developing Paul “Lil Boo Thang” Russell. “We are excited for Sav and Khris to begin this next chapter in further elevating our artists around the world,” said Massey. “They have played an integral part in helping build and develop an impressive roster here at Arista … and we look forward to their continued leadership.”
Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for Recording Academy
NASHVILLE NOTES: Academy Award nominated singer-songwriter Allison Moorer (pictured in 2019) and Rolling Stone magazine veteran Jon Freeman joined the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum staff as writer-editors, responsible for wordsmithing across exhibitions, publications, social media and more. The Hall also promoted Brad Henton to senior director of culinary, event and museum sales; Paige Maillet to director of guest experiences; and Kayleigh Shoemaker to director of public programs … Julien’s Auctions hired Cristy Barber as vp of pop culture and business development for its new Nashville office. She was most recently with legacy firm Iconoclast as vp of global marketing and brand partnerships.
Cliff Chenfeld joined Jonny Shipes’ GoodTalk as partner and advisor at the full-service entertainment company. Chenfeld co-founded Razor & Tie, and for years served as co-CEO of the indie label and publisher. If you’re a parent, you can also (hiss/cheer) at him for developing — along with his R&T co-founder Craig Balsam — the ridonculously popular Kidz Bop compilation series, which the pair sold along with Razor & Tie to Concord in 2018. “I’ve known Jonny for 15 years and have been amazed at his ability to identify special artists, to stay on the tip of cultural developments and to expand his vision of himself and his business,” said Chenfeld. “In addition, he is a hell of a lot of fun and a good friend. I have been very selective with how I spend my time since selling Razor + Tie and Kidz Bop and working with Jonny was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”
Sarah Mitchell is now head of BMG‘s rights and royalties operations across both music publishing and recordings in the UK and across Europe. Mitchell joined BMG in 2022 as svp of neighboring rights and in her tenure has already inked deals with Coldplay, Pete Townshend and Christine & The Queens, among others. In her new capacity as svp of rights and royalties, the London-based exec will handle rights and royalty management for most non-U.S. dealings, and she’ll work with clients on copyright administration, analytics and accounting across recordings and publishing. She reports to Sebastian Hentzschel and sits on the BMG UK board. Prior to joining BMG, Mitchell was director of membership & communications at UK neighboring rights society PPL. “Over the past two years Sarah Mitchell has proven to be a significant addition to BMG’s London-based leadership with an incredible network in the artist and business communities and an impressive ability to think differently and make things happen,” said Alistair Norbury, president of BMG UK.
Italian rock label Frontiers landed Tom Lipsky as its new head of A&R of North America. Lipsky is the former head of several rock and heavy metal labels, including Loud & Proud Records, Sanctuary Records and CMC International Records, which he co-founded, and the indie Carry On Music. Napoli-based Frontiers is the Italian home of a bevy of rock greats including Def Leppard, Winger, Night Ranger, Mr. Big, Blue Oyster Cult, YES and Electric Light Orchestra, among others. Lipsky’s remit is all about translating the label’s bellissima vision for North America. In a statement, Lipsky said he and Frontiers founder Serafino Perugino “share a common vision regarding the continuing relevance and value of veteran artists,” adding, “I look forward to working with him and his team to make Frontiers the label home of choice for the artist community.”
Tixr, the primary ticketing platform based in Santa Monica, Calif., hired industry veteran Steve Oberman as the new vp of partnerships. In his new role, Oberman is tasked with growing the fast-expanding company across music and other industries both in North America and internationally. He joins Tixr from See Tickets, where he was evp and head of music. Prior to entering the ticketing game, Oberman worked in day-to-day management of artists — Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver come to mind — at Frontline and Azoff Music Management. Other recent US-based hires at Tixr include Ravi Durga, also formerly of See Tickets, as director of partnerships; Amir Mozafari, ex-DICE, as nightlife partnerships specialist; and Matt Stallknecht, formerly of NASCAR, as partnerships executive. “Tixr’s platform is the future of modern ticketing and e-commerce,” said Oberman. “The team’s speed to innovate and ship products, eye for design, and unique approach to problem-solving is second to none.”
Label, publisher and distributor Empire Nashville promoted Heather Vassar to senior vp of operations and Sarah Beth Gerlecz to director of business and legal affairs. In addition, Hannah Galluzzi has been hired as director of A&R, having previously worked in A&R at Universal Music Group Nashville for six years. Empire artists Shaboozey, Reyna Roberts and Willie Jones were featured on Beyonce’s album Cowboy Carter, while Shaboozey has the current Billboard Hot 100 No. 3 song “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” The label has teamed with Magnolia Music Group to take “Bar Song” to country radio. –Jessica Nicholson
Four industry veterans launched Fixated, described as a one-stop shop for creators, fans and brands with a goal of “reshaping the digital entertainment landscape.” Co-founders of the company include CEO Zach Katz (ex-president and COO of FaZe Clan, president of BMG North America), president Jason Wilhelm (co-founder Talent X/Sway House and Content Labs), chief studio officer Dean Johnson (co-founder Content Labs), and chief content officer Luc Boulch (content creator). The leadership team of Fixated is rounded out by Phil Ranta and Ali Adab, as chief operating officer and chief growth officer, respectively. “We are this generation’s fans who went on to become creators,” said Boulch. “In doing so, we made virality our religion. And now, whether it’s talent, content or gaming, we have a science for driving traffic to our ecosystem like no one else.”
Music marketing veteran Joe Aboud officially launched consultancy firm 444 Sounds, with a roster including Sony Music, UnitedMasters, Major Recordings and artists such as Jung Kook and Enrique Iglesias. Aboud was most recently vp of marketing and streaming at HITCO, and prior to that worked as a marketing manager at Atlantic Records.
Music Venue Trust hired Sophie Brownlee as external affairs manager and Kimberley Goddard as fundraising manager. The UK charity with a laser-focus on protecting grassroots venues also said it promoted Sophie Asquith to venue support team manager. “These new appointments will bring real experience and energy to Music Venue Trust,” said Beverly Whitrick, COO of MVT. “It is vital that, at a time when the challenges facing the grassroots music sector continue to mount, we can offer support, expertise and guidance to the venues we work with.”
SAVOR, the hospitality arm of ASM Global, added Jason Dowd as senior vp of culinary and innovation, and Craig Condra as regional vp of food and beverage. Combined, the pair have roughly 46 years of experience in the culinary and hospitality business. “At SAVOR we take the force of decades of international experience and implement a hyper-local approach, offering our clients unique culinary innovations of the highest levels while also carefully tailoring services at each venue according to the region it operates,” said Shaun Beard, svp of SAVOR. “With Jason at the helm of the company’s culinary innovation program and Craig managing the facilities at the regional level, we are fully equipped to continue delivering this signature service and unparalleled experience to all of our clients.”
LIVE, a trade group advocating for 16 live music industry associations, appointed Ross Patel to lead sustainability issues as the org’s first-ever Green Impact Consultant. Patel has many hats on already as co-founder and CEO for Whole Entertainment and chief strategy officer at UMA Entertainment Group. Plus, in June 2021 Ross joined the Music Manager Forum as a board member to help them advocate for climate action.
ICYMI:
Lu Mota
Pete Ganbarg is stepping aside as Atlantic Records’ president of A&R to launch Pure Tone Records, a joint venture with the label … Delia Orjuela is the new head of creative Mexican music/música mexicana at Warner Chappell Music … Luis “Lu” Mota left Columbia to join Atlantic as executive vp of A&R.
Last Week’s Turntable: Island Def Jamming With New VP
Concord Label Group has promoted Joe Dent to executive vp of operations and Jill Weindorf to executive vp of marketing, the company announced Tuesday (April 30). Weindorf is based in Los Angeles while Dent is located in Concord’s Nashville headquarters.
The promotions, some of the first under newly-appointed Concord Label Group CEO Tom Becci, aim to modernize Concord’s structure to support an expanding roster of talent while increasing the company’s ability to sign, develop and support artists within the global ecosystem.
Weindorf began her career in marketing at Elektra Records and has spent 17 years at Concord. In her new role, she will lead marketing efforts across Concord’s eight active labels and, in conjunction with Concord’s label presidents, continue to develop career artists globally.
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Dent previously spent a decade at Fat Beats Distribution, where he rose to GM. Since joining Concord, he has led the charge to stabilize the company’s vinyl pipeline during the COVID-19 pandemic, increased its in-house spatial audio capacity and developed a business-to-business (B2B) system for interacting with artists. In his new capacity, Dent will continue to concentrate on improving processes across the active label and back-office teams. He will also build further internal system efficiency and interconnection while working with external partners on capacity, supply chain and process efficiencies.
“Music is about connection and Jill’s ability to devise a marketing strategy in concert with an artist, while considering their priorities, who they are, the place they want to be, and then work tirelessly in support of that plan is unparalleled,” said Becci in a statement. “Having Jill in this role will certainly allow Concord to remain competitive in an increasingly complicated and global market. Joe has an incredible understanding of how to look at a classically messy system, identify areas for improvement, and make real and lasting corrections. I have no doubt that Joe will continue guiding Concord towards further operational efficiencies in support of our artists.”
“My focus has always been the artists and music,” Weindorf said in a statement. “Concord has offered me the opportunity to build long-term trust with so many career artists and I love being part of the journey with them. I’m also excited by our legacy recordings and the depth and historical relevance of our catalog. Many executives don’t get the chance to work across such a wide breadth of repertoire; I have been here for 17 years, and I am still excited by that opportunity every day.”
“What I genuinely appreciate about Concord is that, despite our size, we are still incredibly nimble,” added Dent. “If we believe there is a superior way that we can do things, there is a reasonable chance that we will do it that way. I’m incredibly grateful for the trust that so many amazing artists put in us and I’m excited to continue finding ways we can better support them. This really is a dream come true for a punk from New Jersey.”
Fonovisa-Disa, Universal Music Group‘s regional Mexican label, has appointed Ana Martinez to U.S. GM. Based in Los Angeles, Martinez, a 19-year music industry veteran, will report directly to Antonio Silva, MD of Fonovisa-Disa for the United States and Mexico.
“The legacy that Fonovisa has historically created, mainly across Mexican music, has been the inspiration and reference for entire generations, and will continue to build long into the future,” Martinez said in a statement. “With the current moment in Latin music, it is exciting for me to join a company and team of this nature, to herald a new era for this historic label, where our music continues to elevate, leaving its mark on history and culture, not only across Latin music, but also globally.”
Martinez previously spearheaded strategy and relations as part of Amazon Music’s global Latin team, where she carried out global campaigns for the likes of Bad Bunny, Karol G and Shakira, as well as multi-platform Amazon livestreams, including Maluma‘s concert from Medellín in 2022, ”Medallo En El Mapa.” Prior to Amazon, she spent seven years at Universal Music México, joining the company as label manager of Anglo repertoire before landing the role of marketing director.
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“I am very excited about the integration of Ana Martínez to the team, her experience across different fields of the industry complements our business vision and strategy for the Fonovisa-Disa roster,” added Silva. “I fully trust that her ability to foster success across projects will further strengthen our vision of generating global hits for Mexican music in the future.”
Martinez’s appointment comes just months after Alfredo Delgadillo was appointed as president/CEO of Universal Music México. Of Martinez’s return to Universal Music Group, Delgadillo said: “Ana is always connected and thinking ahead of the market and this, together with her extensive experience across the Latin music industry from independent labels, booking and production of concerts, artist management, her time in specialized magazines and most recently in her position at Amazon Music, will further nourish our ecosystem and help Fonovisa-Disa to maintain its position as the leader of Mexican music in the world.”
It’s time for another spindle around the Executive Turntable, Billboard’s comprehensive(ish) compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across music.
Sony Music Germany appointed Jean-Sebastien Permal and Jenny Walzer to run noted. records, the label giant’s newly launched electronic music imprint. A&R and strategy at the Berlin-based label will be handled by Permal, whose day job is vp of A&R for Europe & Africa, while marketing and operations will be the purview of Walzer, also a senior product manager at Sony Music. The label’s first signing is DJ-producer Anfisa Letyago, whose first track on noted. — “Feelin” — was just released.
Germany is the fourth-biggest market for recorded music, growing 7% in 2023, according to IFPI’s latest global report. The country also has the most dance music listeners on Spotify, on a monthly basis, according to figures via the annual IMS Business Report. Another key finding in that tome: “The global dance music business is now firmly in its post-pandemic growth phase,” with 17% annual growth and a valuation of $11.8 billion.
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“Electronic music as a genre has never been as potent as it is today,” said Permal. “We recognized the need to provide a home for artists with a strong and unique musical and visual identity. We are thrilled to have Anfisa Letyago as our first signed artist and are incredibly ambitious about her project.“
Meanwhile…
ASM Global named veteran sustainability strategist Lindsay Arell as its first-ever chief sustainability officer. The company’s portfolio already boasts more than 50 green certified venues, and Arell’s appointment speaks to its “leadership and commitment to sustainability,” says chief executive and president Ron Bension. Arell said she will will continue to lead Honeycomb Strategies, her 14-year-old consulting firm advising sports and events industry leaders on sustainable strategies. “I’m thrilled at the chance to spearhead ASM’s sustainability initiatives working alongside our teams and communities across our over 400 global venues.” Arell said. “By providing our venue teams with the necessary knowledge and resources, we can accelerate the progress of our program significantly.”
Reservoir made a slate of key promotions at Big Life, its UK-centric artist management agency. Kat Kennedy, Colin Roberts and Claire Kilcourse were promoted to partners, with Kennedy also taking on a new role as managing director, the company said. Combined, the trio have clocked roughly 46 years at Big Life — no small fete. “They’ve all shown incredible loyalty to the company,” said Big Life co-founder Tim Parry. “The longstanding relationships they have built with their clients are testament to their dedication, thoughtfulness, and expertise as managers, and I look forward to the continuing success they will bring to the Big Life brand.”
Samantha Sklar
Position Music promoted Samantha Sklar to vp of A&R at the Virgin Music-distributed indie publisher. Sklar, who joined Position in 2022 following a fruitful tenure at Warner Chappell Music, recently found success with the signing of Jack LaFrantz, who co-wrote Benson Boone’s hit “Beautiful Things.” While at WCM the A&R exec notably signed Stephen Kirk, co-writer of BTS’ “Butter.” Position Music head of A&R Mark Chipello dubbed Sklar a “publisher through and through [who] has an incredible drive to serve writers and create opportunities for them.”
Como No‘s founder Andy Wood announced he’s stepping down as director of the U.K.-based Latin music promoter company after 40 years, with Elena Beltrami unveiled as the new director. Wood will stay on as a non-executive board member. “On a daily basis I have felt humbled by the breadth of talent from Latin America and beyond that I have had the good fortune to work with,” said Wood, who formed Como No in 1985 and founded La Linea Festival, which just wrapped its 24th edition. “It’s been a privilege to work within a culture that I love, and with artists that I love in this great city of ours, for incredible audiences and with supportive venues and partners.” –Griselda Flores
AIM and BPI appointed Roxy Erickson as project manager of its ramped-up Music Climate Pact. The pact, initiated by the two UK organizations, works to bring music businesses together to take collective action to combat the climate crisis. The pact’s signatories include BMG, Beggars Group, Ninja Tune, Partisan Records, Secretly Group and the big three majors. Erickson is co-founder of Creative Zero, a collective of like-minded professions working to “generate positive environmental and social impact throughout the creative industries,” according to its website.
ALL IN THE FAM: Pam Sturchio is Billboard‘s new regional vp of brand partnerships, effective immediately. The Chicagoan joins Billboard after more than 10 years at Conde Nast, where she oversaw Midwest sales for the media company’s sprawling portfolio of brands … We also welcomed Lilian Gonzalez as our new e-commerce writer, based in Los Angeles. She was previously an associate producer at POPSUGAR, where she focused on all things beauty and fitness (including the Dance Fitsugar video series).
Joanne Hunter and Renata Muniz launched a new media and brand strategy agency called Out of Office Group. The partners, who both served as vps of media and brand strategy at Def Jam Recordings, have hit the ground running and are already working with several breakout acts, including KenTheMan, Shanae and Genia, among others. You can reach the LA-based Hunter and the NYC-based Muniz at info@outofofficegroup.com.
Dan P Carter, longtime curator of ‘The Rock Show’ on BBC Radio 1, joined Spinefarm Music Group as director of artist development. The London-based rock n’ roll evangelist will work alongside the Spinefarm team to sign and develop artists, and is set to report directly to general manager Jonas Nachsin. Other recent Spinefarm hires include Leah Devine and Tristan Pratt as marketing managers. Spinefarm’s current roster includes Bullet For My Valentine, Atreyu, Airbourne, Killing Joke, Black Label Society and While She Sleeps, among others.
Please & Thank You, an agency specializing in VIP events & experiences, hired a couple veterans of the experiential arts. Meg Pollaro is the Eddie Meehan-founded company’s new vp of business development and partnerships, following notable roles at CAA, WME/Endeavor and Superfly. At P&TY, she’ll connect the dots between brands, consumers and artists. Jason Barrett joined as vp of strategy and development following a GM role at WMX, the creative services division of Warner Music Group. At his politely named new job, Barrett will focus his efforts on creating long-term deals for artists, managers and agents.
Kendra Whitehead
NASHVILLE NOTES: Brown Sellers Brown welcomed Kendra Whitehead as director of artist relations and day-to-day management of Joe Nichols. The veteran radio promoter previously banked 11 years with BMG, specifically with Wheelhouse Records and Red Bow Records … The Folk Alliance International named Jennifer Roe executive director of the organization after holding the post in an interim capacity. She was previously the FAI operations director.
Recording Academy veteran Jeriel Johnson is celebrating early successes following the launch of Telescope Arts & Music Group, his own artist management and consulting company. Johnson, former executive director of the Academy’s DC chapter and most recently a senior director at UMG, announced that his first signing, Bajan singer-songwriter Ayoni, signed a record deal with Def Jam Recordings earlier this month. Johnson is also co-producing the next United States Army Field Band album and, as an artist, helped write a new track on Shenseea’s forthcoming album. You can reach Johnson at jeriel@telescopearts.com.
Endeavor hired public policy executive Matt Kaplan as vp of government relations. Kaplan was most recently director of public policy at Meta, with prior experience at Instacart and Lyft. In DC, he has worked for Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and the Biden-Harris campaign in 2020. His appointment at Endeavor was first reported by Variety.
Greg Kastelman joined Park Avenue Artists as co-director of artist bookings, working alongside co-director Devi Reddy. Kastelman spent the last five years running his own booking agency and brings to PAA a roster that includes Brazilian singer Badi Assad and Ethio-American singer Meklit Hadero, among others. “PAA’s approach reaffirmed my confidence that artist managers and agents could be compassionate and forward thinking, affirming artists in their journey,” Kastelman notes. “I am thrilled to be working alongside Devi and the agency to tackle big challenges and embrace unique opportunities.”
BOARD SHORTS: Indie music publishers trade body IMPF elected six new members to its board at its 2024 general assembly in Dublin. They are Emily Stephenson (Downtown Music Publishing), Rosa M. Vizcaíno Gómez (Ediciones Musicales Clipper’s), Claudia Mescoli (Edizioni Curci), Tatjana Bukvić (Tin Drum Music), Cecilia Léon Rodrigo (Ediciones Joaquín Rodrigo) and Denise Andrikopoulou (D-Version Music Publishing) … The National Association of Broadcasters elected five new members to its NAB Radio Board: Mary Menna (Beasley Media), Chris Forgy (Saga Communications), Erik Hellum (Townsquare Media), Tim Swift (Bonneville) and Jerry “J” Chapman (Woof Boom Radio).
Symphonic Distribution hired BMG and UMG veteran Stephen Nightingale as vp of A&R and business development, Canada. Reporting to Symphonic’s chief creative officer, Randall Foster, Nightingale will be responsible for expanding the independent music distribution and marketing company’s roster and building up its partnerships in the region. Based in Toronto, Nightingale was most recently vp of recorded music in Canada for BMG. Earlier in his career, he was a marketing and business development exec at Universal Music Group.
ROYAL TEA: Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have a new executive communications team in place. Charlie Gipson is director of communications and will be point of contact for all UK and European media outlets. Kyle Boulia is deputy press secretary and director of communication for US media relations and is based in Los Angeles. They replace Miranda Barbot, who has been upped to vp of programs and media operation for the D&DofS.
ICYMI:
Elliott Wilson
Gary Roden abruptly resigned as general manager of Oak View Group’s Co-op Live, the UK’s biggest arena that’s been beset with hiccups ahead of its opening … Audacy reduced its workforce by “less than 2%” … Elliott Wilson was named editorial director of UPROXX, HipHopDX and Dime magazine … Kelli Skye Fadroski joined the AEG-owned Crypto.com Arena, Peacock Theater, and L.A LIVE as Manager of Communications.
Last Week’s Turntable: ‘Tiny Desk’ Maestro Has New Job
The troubled launch of Co-op Live, the United Kingdom’s biggest entertainment arena, has hit further difficulties with GM Gary Roden resigning from his role just a few days ahead of the venue’s already delayed opening.
Roden’s exit was announced late Thursday evening (April 25) U.K. time by Jessica Koravos, president of Oak View Group (OVG) International. “Gary Roden has decided to resign,” said Koravos in a statement. She went on to thank the outgoing exec for “his help bringing the UK’s newest arena to live entertainment fans” and wished him “the best for the future.”
Replacing Roden in the position of interim GM is Rebecca Kane Burton, who ran the U.K.’s highest-grossing venue, London’s The O2 arena, from 2012 to 2016 before serving as CEO of LW Theatres. Burton takes over at Co-op Live with immediate effect, said Koravos.
The change of leadership at Co-op Live follows a tumultuous week at the 23,500-capacity venue, which was originally due to open on Tuesday (April 23) with the first of two consecutive shows by British comedian Peter Kay.
Those plans were postponed after a heavily publicized preview show at the Manchester arena 48 hours prior, headlined by Rick Astley, which saw Co-op Live cut capacity, resulting in large numbers of fans’ tickets being canceled on short notice as the venue was not ready.
Two days later, Co-op Live announced that Kay’s opening shows were being rescheduled to Monday (April 29) and Tuesday (April 30) to give operators “the extra time we need to continue testing” the building’s infrastructure and power supply, according to a venue spokesperson.
At the time of publication, representatives of Co-op Live had not responded to inquiries from Billboard asking if the two Kay shows were still going ahead next week — or if a 10,000-capacity test concert by The Black Keys scheduled for Saturday (April 27) was still taking place.
Koravos’ statement doesn’t mention either upcoming event and simply says, “We are focused on opening Co-op Live.”
Set to be the United Kingdom’s biggest and most sustainable arena, Co-op Live is the first major project outside the United States from Oak View Group (OVG), the Denver-headquartered global management and development giant co-founded in 2015 by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff. (Harry Styles, who grew up in the small Cheshire village of Holmes Chapel, around 30 miles outside of Manchester, is an investor in the project and advised on aspects of the venue’s design).
Prior to his sudden and unexpected exit on Thursday, Roden had sparked ire from U.K. trade body The Music Venue Trust for comments he made in an interview with the BBC in which he reportedly said that some small grassroots venues were “poorly run” and that calls for a £1 ticket levy from every arena ticket to support pubs and clubs was “too simplistic.”
Referencing those comments, Koravos said that “neither Co-op Live nor Oak View Group share the sentiment expressed by former Co-op Live General Manager Gary Roden regarding the grassroots industry.”
Koravos went on to say that the venue remains “committed to grassroots music in Manchester and beyond” and will donate over £1 million a year to good causes via the Co-op Foundation.
“Oak View Group and Co-op Live remain happy to meet with grassroots organisations once the venue is fully operational,” Koravos’ statement concludes.
Artists confirmed to perform at the venue this year include the Eagles, Take That, Liam Gallagher, Olivia Rodrigo, Nicki Minaj, Kid Cudi, Slipknot, Eric Clapton, Pearl Jam, Justin Timberlake, Noah Kahan and Megan Thee Stallion.