Executive Turntable

Universal Music Singapore hired Alice Kent as general manager, overseeing day-to-day operations and spearheading efforts to up the UMG division’s presence in the Southeast Asian island country. She reports to UMG chief of South East Asia Calvin Wong, who says Kent “brings with her a pioneering spirit and a wealth of experience from her decades of working in the music and entertainment industry” — including a recent stretch as marketing, partnerships and business development director at Live Nation Entertainment Singapore, and before that senior roles at both Warner Music and Sony Music. Among the many feathers in Kent’s cap include securing sponsorship deals for Blackpink and brokering partnerships with Singtel and PayPal, in addition to working with Billie Eilish and the Singapore Tourism Board.

Alexander Vazelakis was named head of A&R for longstanding dance imprint Ultra Records. This is Vazelakis’ return to the label, where he previously spent nearly a decade working with artists including Sofi Tukker, Icona Pop, Steve Aoki, Anabel Englund and DVBBS. Based in Los Angeles, Vazelakis most recently served as VP of A&R at both Helix Records and Ultra Publishing and now reports to Ultra Records President David Waxman. –Katie Bain

SiriusXM promoted longtime executive Jen Leiweke to vice president of artist and industry relations. Previously a senior director on the talent and industry relations team, Leiweke joined Pandora in late 2010 and has worked across marketing, brand partnerships, live and experiential. In the past year, Leiweke helped develop a major sponsorship framework with American Express around SiriusXM’s Small Stage Series, which has featured performances from John Legend at The Wiltern in Los Angeles and Halsey at Union Transfer in Philly, among others. She also helped launch SiriusXM’s first foray at Miami Art Basel along with partner Chase Sapphire. Prior to joining Pandora, which was acquired by SiriusXM in 2019, Leiweke held positions at Alison Prod Public Relations and AEG.

Marigo Mihalos was also promoted to vice president at SiriusXM, where she oversees the entertainment booking team specializing in film, TV, and lifestyle. Before joining the satellite radio giant, Mihalos launched her own PR agency and later solidified her reputation as a booker on television shows like The Wendy Williams Show and Who Want to Be a Millionaire. Her best-of list of wins at SiriusXM include snagging the entire cast of Elvis for a Graceland appearance and orchestrating a collaboration between Bravo host-with-the-most Andy Cohen and icon-of-icons Dolly Parton at Dollywood. She can be reached at Marigo.mihalos@siriusxm.com.

Nashville-based publishing and artist development company Back Blocks Music expanded its team, adding Autumn Ledgin as senior director of A&R and Elizabeth Cook as creative coordinator. Back Blocks Music was founded by Billboard Power Player and 40 Under 40 recipient Rakiyah Marshall, with a roster including Ashley Cooke, Lily Rose, Blake Pendergrass and Tucker Wetmore. Ledgin previously worked at Good Company Entertainment, as day-to-day manager for the company’s roster, including Jake Owen and Larry Fleet, before adding A&R duties and becoming a board member and planning coordinator for the Jake Owen Foundation. Cook joins Back Blocks Music during her senior year at Belmont University as a songwriting major; she previously interned at Creative Nation and King Pen. –Jessica Nicholson

Believe-owned TuneCore appointed Tash Shah as its new vice president of International at the digital music distributor. Shah is a 12-year veteran at Spotify, where she served as the streaming giant’s first head of marketing in the UK and most recently held the title of director of growth programs. At her new gig, which is based in London, she’ll drive TuneCore’s international growth into new global markets oversee a team across 17 countries, while developing programs to benefit TuneCore’s growing roster of artists and labels. Shah will eventually report to TuneCore’s TBA chief revenue officer, but in the interim will work directly with CEO Andreea Gleeson.

Songtradr appointed Paul Langworthy to chief revenue officer of the music licensing marketplace and distribution platform. Reporting directly to CEO Paul Wiltshire, Langworthy’s focuses will include expanding licensing, music management, and creative branding opportunities, as well as continuing expansion into markets where music rights management remains under-monetized. Langworthy was previously CEO of U.K. digital music company 7digital, which Songtradr scooped up earlier this year for roughly $23 million. At the time of the acquisition, it was announced that Langworthy and the bulk of 7digital’s senior leadership team would join Songtradr. “Paul has a proven track record of successfully managing large teams, multiple revenue streams and has a deep understanding of the complex music rights ecosystem we work in,” said Wiltshire.

ICYMI: Tom Becci joined Concord Label Group as chief executive … peermusic appointed Elizabeth Rodda as president of Latin America and global society relations … About sixty employees are set to be impacted by layoffs at CAA … and Quality Control CEO Pierre “P” Thomas won Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players’ Choice Award.

A2IM hired Melissa White as director of membership and Jasmine Lopez-Alvarez as marketing manager of the independent music advocacy group. In their new roles, White will oversee A2IM’s label relations and membership engagement strategy, while Lopez-Alvarez will manage marketing initiatives and spearhead membership growth. White arrives from sample marketplace Tracklib, where she rose to music catalog director; Lopez-Alvarez has clocked time at SiriusXM, Maruder and HIFI. “Their experience and passion for independent music will play a crucial role in developing our reach and furthering our mission,” said Richard James Burgess, CEO of A2IM. You can reach the pair at melissa@a2im.org and/or jasmine@a2im.org.

Industry veteran Nathalie Rubin joined PR collective Hustle&Co. as account supervisor. Based in Los Angeles and reporting to founder and CEO Jenn DeMartino Callister, Rubin’s remit will center around driving campaigns for clients including music investment firm Influence Media Partners, destination experience company Vibee and something called Spotify (specifically its EQUAL and GLOW programs). Prior to joining Hustle, Rubin served as publicity manager at Elektra Entertainment, acing press campaigns for the label group’s artist roster found on Fueled by Ramen, DTA Records and the mothership imprint. She kicked off her career with a five-year stretch at BMG Recorded Music, where as in-house publicist she worked directly with a murderer’s row of rock favorites including Evanescence, Thrice, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and My Chemical Romance’s Frank Iero. She can be reached at Nathalie_Rubin@hustleandco.com.

The Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC), a non-profit organization founded in 2020 to combat systemic racism in the music business, added rapper-activist Cordae and Live Nation Urban president Shawn Gee to its Executive Leadership Council. Cordae and Shawn Gee, who received the Social Impact Award at BMAC’s inaugural annual gala, join a growing list of industry leaders on the ELC, including Dina LaPolt, Wassim “Sal” Slaiby, Jonathan Azu, Tariq Cherif and Jeff Azoff, among others. See a full list here.

VRTCL, a content management and influencer marketing agency, promoted Imani “Mango” Lewis to director of music and Jenn Rilloraza to director of brands and content. In their new roles, Lewis will lead overall strategy and operation of the music and social teams, while Rilloraza will continue working with her team to develop authentic content on behalf of some of the world’s biggest brands. Both report to FH Media CEO, Ash Stahl, who says they “have a proven history of working closely with artist and commercial brands to amplify their messages in ways that are completely authentic.” VRTCL was acquired by Create Music Group in early 2022 and folded into an FH Media roster that also includes influencer brands Flighthouse, Teenager Therapy and Retirement House.

Nashville Notes: Musicians On Call, a Nashville-based nonprofit that brings live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities, announced a series of promotions and new hires. Promotions include Kat Weeks to vp of marketing, Torianne Valdez to senior talent manager and PJ Cowan and Caroline Love to senior program managers. New hires include Orenda Senior as program coordinator and Sasha Arnkoff as executive assistant … Triple Tigers hired Nashville-based Blake Nixon as director of Southeast promotion. He previously held a similar role at Show Dog Nashville … Shelby Yoder founded songwriter/producer management company willo&co. She was previously head of Milk & Honey Nashville.

Universal Music UK appointed Sally Davies as managing director of Abbey Road, the legendary recording studio forever linked with iconic albums by The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Kate Bush and more. This is an in-house move for Davies, who arrives after a 10-year run at U-Live, the live promoter within the Vivendi Group and UMUK. As CEO of U-Live, she notably produced the immersive dinner show Mamma Mia the Party! alongside ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus. Prior to U-Live, Davies spent seven years with AEG as assistant GM/director of events of The O2 arena. Since Abbey Road became part of UMG as part of its 2012 acquisition of EMI (the studio was initially called EMI Recording Studios), it has expanded its services beyond recording and mixing. It offers audio mastering, audio restoration, and post-production services, among others. Davies is based in London and will report to UMUK COO David Sharpe.

“I’ve known Sally for a long time so it was an easy decision to appoint her to one of the most important leadership positions in our industry, at the forefront of world class recordings, sound innovation and creative education,” commented David Joseph, chairman and CEO of Universal Music UK. “Sally balances creativity and business strategy exceptionally well and I couldn’t be happier to welcome her back to the Universal Music family.”

Interscope Records appointed Manny Prado vice president of marketing and A&R. In the newly created role, Prado will work alongside executives Nir Seroussi and Jose Cedeño to sign and develop artists for Interscope Miami as well as work closely with its existing roster, according to a press statement. Most recently, Prado served as vp of West Coast operations at Sony Music Latin, where he worked for 20 years. During his tenure at the label, he was a key figure in the careers of Becky G, Carin León and Christian Nodal, among others. “Manny Prado is simply one of the most talented and driven executives working in music,” said Nir Seroussi, executive vice president of Interscope Geffen A&M Records. “We’re thrilled to have him join the team at Interscope Miami as we continue to build a best-in-class platform for Latin artists.” –Griselda Flores

ASCAP hired Tim Daugherty as senior vice president of general licensing. Based in New York City and reporting to head of licensing Stephanie Ruyle, Daugherty will oversee all licensing for brick-and-mortar businesses like bars, hotels and live music venues. Daugherty’s résumé includes five years with Vice Media, where he was most recently svp of revenue and digital operations, and earlier he held roles with Lonely Planet Global and Turner Broadcasting. Ruyle said she was eager to work with her new svp to “respond to the evolving economic and technology landscape for general licensees and to ensure that ASCAP members are fairly compensated for the public performance of their works.”

Verve Label Group hired longtime Spotify executive Monica Santucci as the UMG division’s new vice president of streaming, overseeing strategy and initiatives for the entire VLG family, including Verve Records, Decca Records US, Impulse! and Verve Forecast. Santucci joined Spotify back in 2013 in its label relations department and went on to launch and manage hugely popular franchises like Spotify Singles and the Live at Electric Lady series. Prior to Spotify, she spent six years at Sony Music, where she rose to associate director of digital sales. Dickon Stainer, president and CEO of VLG, said the NYC-based Santucci joined “at the perfect moment to help our artists and their music navigate the many routes to worldwide discovery.”

Porter’s Call, a Franklin, Tennessee-based nonprofit that has provided counseling and support to recording artists since 2001, is changing leadership. Effective May 2024, Porter’s Call founder/executive director Al Andrews will step down from his leadership role. Beth Barcus and Chad Karger will take the helm as co-executive directors. Phil Shay, who joined Porter’s Call in 2022, has been named director of development, while two additional staffers have joined the team: office and hospitality manager Audrey Ragan and porter Jared Farley. –Jessica Nicholson

Influence Media Partners, the music and entertainment investment firm backed by BlackRock and WMG, hired Lisa Licht as their chief marketing advisor, overseeing strategy in the spheres of partnerships, content development and communications. Over the decades, the experienced marketer has held C-suite and senior roles at Live Nation, Yahoo, Hasbro, Fox and Mattel, and owns her own consulting firm (where she advises companies like Build-a-Bear, Cameo and Illumination). Assisting Licht will be Nneka Ani, who has been promoted to head of marketing and will continue to manage corporate communications and develop opportunities around the fund’s portfolio. Additionally, Influence exec Danny Klotz has been named head of underwriting and will manage the company’s pipeline of deals and run the investment team’s catalog models and projections, among other duties. Launched in 2019 and led by Lylette Pizarro, Lynn Hazan, Rene McLean and Jon Jashni, Influence’s fund has invested in catalogs from a diverse slate of artists including Blake Shelton, Tainy, Future and Julia Michaels.

ICYMI: Longtime IFPI chief executive Frances Moore is retiring from the global trade body at year’s end … Four executives were promoted at Interscope Geffen A&M … Andre Perry was elected board president at NIVA … Amazon Music elevated Ryan Redington to general manager … Tencent Music’s chief strategy officer stepped down … and UMG upped Manusha Sarawan to MD of Southern and East Africa.

The Oriel Company welcomed Chrissy Borsellino as senior director of communications and Kelli Wasilauski as the director of operations in Nashville. Borsellino arrives from ADA Worldwide, where she was head of PR and promo, while earlier in her career she notably took the lead in launching a U.S. publicity division at WMA. Wasilauski most recently served as vp of publicity at Adkins Publicity, where she helped grow the company’s roster by double-digits and worked on high-profile campaigns for Billy Ray Cyrus, The Judds and others. The communications agency, launched in early 2021 by veteran publicists Carleen Donovan, Chloë Walsh and Jen Appel, has offices in New York, Los Angeles and Nashville. You can reach the new additions to the Oriel team at kelli@theoriel.co and chrissy@theoriel.co.

Yendi Rodriguez has been promoted to vice president, creative and songwriter services, U.S. Latin at Sony Music Publishing. In her new role, Rodriguez will lead expansion efforts for the U.S. Latin roster with emphasis on career development, talent discovery, creative collaboration and song placements. She will also continue to liaise across the company’s divisions including administration and synch to advance songwriter service efforts. The Miami-based executive will report to Jorge Mejia, president & CEO, Latin America and U.S. Latin, Sony Music Publishing. “Music has always been my passion and it is an honor to be working alongside the best songwriters in the business,” Rodriguez said. According to a press statement, Rodriguez has been key to landing top signings including Keityn, Bizarrap, Nicki Nicole, The Rude Boyz and Jay Wheeler, as well as renewals including Tainy, Camilo and Farruko, among many others. –GF

Sarah Gallagher was promoted to managing director at Modest! Management, home to Olly Murs, JLS and other artists. Gallagher is fast-approaching her 14-year anniversary at the London-based company, where she has overseen a slew of successful campaigns and tours. She reports directly to co-founders Richard Griffiths and Harry Magee. In addition to Sarah’s promotion, Natalie Vassileiou has been elevated to operations director, working alongside Gallagher to manage the day-to-day running of Modest!.

Discogs promoted Anbu Ilango to vp of engineering, Jen Agosta to brand director and Jeffrey Smith to vp of marketing.

Courtney Johanson, who was with public relations company The Greenroom PR for more than a decade, has left the company to join Red Light Management in a management capacity for artists Kip Moore, Caylee Hammack and Tucker Beathard. At The Greenroom PR, Johanson worked on campaigns for clients including Moore, Hammack and Beathard, as well as Brooks & Dunn, Rascal Flatts and Elvie Shane. –JN

Ami Gan has taken her leave as CEO of OnlyFans, the subscription platform popular among adult content creators and the occasional music artist (see: Iggy Azalea, Bhad Bhabie, Bella Thorne and Rubi Rose, among others). Gan, previously chief marketing officer, spent two and a half years in the top job and says that during her tenure the company paid out $10 billion to creators. Replacing her will be Keily Blair, who rises from chief strategy officer. “Spending nearly 3 years at OnlyFans while it echoed throughout the cultural zeitgeist, has been beyond rewarding,” said Gan, who returns to her roots as founder of a marketing firm called Hoxton Projects.

Nashville Bites: Alyssa Ramsey was promoted to manager of label services at Play It Again Entertainment, the label and management company founded by singer-songwriter Dallas Davidson. She’ll oversee label projects and artist development, including A&R and release timelines. Ramsey works with Cade Price to manage rising singer Dylan Marlowe. .. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum hired senior director of education and community engagement Katherine Palmer and director of facilities Ed Schulte. Palmer arrives from the Phoenix-based Musical Instrument Museum, where she was curator of education. Schulte has been the Nashville Zoo director of facilities for the last five years … Newly launched public relations firm King Publicity added Christina Bosch in a publicist role, effective immediately. She was most recently vice president at The Nash News. Bosch can be reached at christina@kingpublicity.com.