Executive Turntable
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It’s the end of an era for a Kobalt Music original. Sas Metcalfe, the company’s first employee and longtime chief creative officer, will be stepping down effective Feb. 28, it was announced on Thursday (Jan. 26). The North Wales native possesses a creative taste that is “second to none,” commented founder and chairman Willard Ahdritz, who hired her in 2001, and has “built a great spirit in her team because she is happy to share success.”
The Metcalfe-led global creative team is almost 70% female, according to the company, and is responsible for signing a roster that currently includes such hitmakers as Max Martin, Lorde, Ozuna, The Weeknd, The Chicks, Finneas, Diplo, Gunna, Karol G and many more.
“When I look back, I’m in awe of how much great music the Kobalt creative team has ushered into the world,” said Metcalfe. “But what makes me most proud is working alongside so many talented music lovers and helping them develop into great creative and A&R minds – I’d argue they are some of the best in the music industry today.”
Metcalfe’s music business journey began in the early 1980s with a marketing assistant job at CBS Records in London. She later got the A&R bug thanks in part to working as a scout at Rocking Horse Records before a three-year stint as an A&R manager at Arista Records. Nine years at Warner Chappell followed, where she signed Radiohead and Dido as head of A&R, before taking a similar post at EMI Records in 1998. She joined Kobalt, again, as Ahdritz’s first hire, three years later. “It’s amazing how far we’ve come in over 20 years together,” he said.
Added Kobalt CEO Laurent Hubert, “Simply put, Sas is one of a kind. Her impact in the music industry and at Kobalt is undeniable, as she nurtured and managed not just amazing songwriters but also built one of the best global creative teams in the industry. The work that Sas has done at Kobalt will be felt for many years to come. We thank Sas for her extraordinary contribution to making Kobalt what it is today.”
Scooter Braun has taken the title of CEO, HYBE America, the U.S. division of South Korean music company HYBE.
A HYBE representative confirmed to Billboard that Braun is now the sole CEO of HYBE America. Until recently, Braun shared the co-CEO title with veteran HYBE executive Lenzo Yoon. (Braun and Yoon appeared at No. 18 on Billboard’s 2022 Power List along with HYBE chairman Bang Si-yuk.) The HYBE representative declined to comment on Yoon’s current title or any changes to either executive’s role.
Braun joined the company through HYBE’s $1.05 billion acquisition of his Ithaca Holdings in 2021. Ithaca encompasses SB Projects, the management firm behind Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande, as well as the country music-focused Big Machine Music Group. HYBE already had a U.S. presence — the acquisition was made by its state-side subsidiary, HYBE America — but Ithaca gave it the infrastructure and the executive, Braun, to build its presence in the U.S. Today, HYBE America has offices in Los Angeles, New York and Nashville. Braun’s team includes Allison Kaye, president of music, HYBE America and SB Projects; Jennifer McDaniels, president of management, HYBE America and SB Projects; and Jules Ferree, president of brands & ventures, HYBE America and SB Projects.
Yoon has spearheaded HYBE’s efforts to showcase K-pop artists based in the U.S. In a 2021 interview, he told Billboard that the U.S. provided an opportunity to implement the company’s “winning formula” that helped turn BTS into global superstars. HYBE has a joint venture with Universal Music Group’s Geffen Records to search for talent, assemble a girl group and release music. “We will find the most effective way to be successful in this project based on the know-how of the two companies,” said Yoon at the time.
Yoon also said Ithica and HYBE would help one another, but suggested Braun would carve out a distinct role in the organization. “We intend to cooperate in the most efficient way without overlapping in terms of structure,” he said.
Penske Media Corporation (PMC) has hired Hannah Woodard as senior director of communications, the company announced Wednesday (Jan. 25). Based in Los Angeles, Woodard will report to PMC’s vp of public affairs and strategy Brooke Jaffe.
In her new role, Woodard will direct communications for PMC’s roster of entertainment and music brands, including Billboard, Rolling Stone, The Hollywood Reporter and Vibe. She will advise on and implement brand strategies, collaborate with leadership teams on partnerships and events and execute ideas for development and growth.
Prior to joining PMC, Woodard owned and operated her own public relations firm, WDRDPR, which she launched in May 2021. Before that, she worked at R&CPMK (formerly PMK*BNC) for five years, during which she straddled the brand and talent departments and worked with clients including Audi of America, American Express Platinum, Anheuser-Busch, AT&T DirecTV, Pepsi, Vice Media Group and Quibi. Prior to relocating to Los Angeles, she worked at IMPACT (formerly Pfeiffer Consulting), Scott Rudin Productions and Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis (formerly Sunshine Sachs) in New York City.
“We are thrilled to have Hannah join our team,” said Jaffe in a statement. “Hannah brings a unique combination of experience, creativity and enthusiasm to the role. I look forward to watching her amplify these world class brands.”
“With a roster of such incredible, celebrated brands, the possibilities are endless,” Woodard added. “I’m thrilled to jump in and work alongside such talented writers, editors, and respected institutions that have shaped — and continue to shape — the wide world of entertainment and music.”
BMG has promoted JoJamie Hahr to executive vp of recorded music, Nashville.
Hahr will oversee day-to-day operations of BMG Recorded Music in Nashville, including BBR Label Group and its roster and imprints Broken Bow Records, Stoney Creek Records and Wheelhouse Records. She will continue reporting to Jon Loba, president of BMG Nashville.
Hahr was promoted to senior vp of BBR Music Group in 2020, where she oversaw all artist strategy, brand partnerships, strategic marketing and digital/creative efforts for BBR Music Group imprints Broken Bow Records, Stoney Creek Records and Wheelhouse Records. She has been with BBR Music Group for eight years. Prior to joining BBR, Hahr served as national director of field promotion for The Valory Music Co., after being promoted from director of Southeast promotion and marketing. Her two decades of music industry experience have also included stints at Universal Music Group, Nashville radio station WSIX and Orlando radio station WWKA.
“I’ve had the good fortune to work with JoJamie for a significant part of her professional life. Whenever she has been given a new opportunity for growth, she has not only met, but exceeded my high expectations,” said Loba in a statement. “She is one of the very best music executives in the industry and this promotion recognizes her many contributions, while at the same time giving her the opportunity to help further grow BMG Nashville, where I have no doubt, she will once again exceed our expectations.”
“It’s a privilege and a blessing to work with our extraordinary artists and our BMG family every day,” added Hahr. “Jon Loba has always encouraged my passion and my growth and I’m thankful for his belief in me. BMG truly puts artists and their music first, and I’m extremely proud of what we all continue to build together in Nashville and beyond.“
Over the past year, BBR Music Group has seen two red-hot artist breakthroughs. In March, Lainey Wilson won new female artist of the year and song of the year at the 2022 ACM Awards, followed by wins for female vocalist of the year and new artist of the year at the 2022 CMA Awards in November. Meanwhile, Jelly Roll just earned his first No. 1 single on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart with “Son of a Sinner” after previously earning his first No. 1 single on Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart with “Dead Man Walking.” The singer has also a total of spent 22 weeks atop Billboard‘s Emerging Artists chart. Elsewhere, three-time ACM entertainer of the year winner Jason Aldean earned his 25th No. 1 Country Airplay hit in May.
Tracy McKnight is joining BMI as vp of creative, film, TV & visual media. In the role, McKnight will lead the day-to-day functions of the department while identifying and signing new affiliates to BMI and cultivating relationships with the company’s roster of film, TV and visual media composers. Additionally, she will help develop programs and events that support career development while providing opportunities to highlight the work of BMI’s composers. She is based out of BMI’s Los Angeles office and will report to BMI executive vp of creative & licensing Mike Steinberg; she assumes the role on Jan. 23. McKnight most recently oversaw the film score acquisition department at Wise Publishing.
Riccardo Loda was promoted to head of A&R at Warner Chappell Music (WCM) Italy; he was previously A&R manager. Based in Milan, he’ll report to WCM president of Southern Europe Santiago Menéndez-Pidal.
Anton Powers joined Sony Music Entertainment’s Ministry of Sound Records as head of A&R. Powers joins the label following three years at Warner Records. He reports to Columbia Records UK president Dipesh Parmar.
Sam Jackson was named controller at BBC Radio 3, succeeding Alan Davey, who will step down from the position in March after eight years. In the role, Jackson will drive creative and managerial responsibility for running Radio 3 while delivering on the annual classical music festival BBC Proms. He was most recently executive vp of global classics & jazz at Universal Music Group. Jackson begins his new role in April, reporting to BBC director of music Lorna Clarke.
Tracklib hired Michael Cassidy as chief product and technology officer and tapped Andreas Liffgarden (Soundtrack Your Brand) to serve as an advisor on the company’s board. Cassidy formerly served as chief innovation officer at FUGA and was a consultant on strategy and technology for Downtown Music Holdings.
Adrian Karvinen was appointed vp of music business & partnerships at Web3 entertainment company Hume, which creates virtual artists. Karvinen will be tasked with building partnerships with brands and artists for the company’s so-called “metastars.” He was most recently director of North America and head of crypto-integration and catalog acquisitions for AI music company Snafu Records.
Nicholas Brema was promoted to business manager at Leftbrain. He can be reached at nbrema@useleftbrain.com.
Lily Collins was named account manager at Milestone Publicity in Nashville; she was formerly associate publicist. She can be reached at LCollins@MilestonePublicity.com.
Tenasie Courtright joined Jody Williams Songs as creative coordinator. Based in Nashville, she previously worked as a brand ambassador for Simple Logistics Solutions. She can be reached at tenasie@jodywilliamssongs.co.
Emmy Lovell was named global head of music at SoundCloud, the company announced Thursday (Jan. 19).
In the role, Lovell will lead SoundCloud’s global music strategy and oversee its artist and label relations as well as its commercial label partnerships teams. She joins SoundCloud from Napster, where she most recently led the Napster app relaunch as interim CEO; prior to that, she was the company’s chief strategy officer. Based in London, she’ll report to SoundCloud chief content and marketing officer Lauren Wirtzer-Seawood.
“Emmy is the consummate music executive,” said Wirtzer-Seawood in a statement. “Her passion for the business and deep expertise in partnering with artists at all stages of their careers is critical as we continue to pioneer the future of fandom and unlock the full potential of the artist and fan relationship on SoundCloud.”
Lovell’s hire comes amid a company revamp that has seen SoundCloud working to reinvent itself as a distribution and artist and label services operation. Last year, the company struck a joint venture with Quality Control’s Solid Foundation, launched SoundCloud for Artists and signed direct partnerships with artists including Lil Pump, Tekno and Kelow LaTesha while also beefing up its artist partnerships team with the hires of Jessica Rivera and Maurice Slade. But it also experienced setbacks; in August, the company announced it would be cutting 20% of its workforce, with a rep stating the layoffs were “due to a significant company transformation and the challenging economic and financial environment.”
Elsewhere, SoundCloud partnered with the music collaboration and data management tool Session, acquired music AI company Musiio and signed a global licensing deal with Warner Music Group that adopted the user-centric “fan powered royalties” model — a switch from the pro-rata model traditionally utilized by streamers.
In addition to Napster, Lovell previously served as executive vp of WEA, part of Warner Music Group’s artist and label services arm, and also had stints at EMI Music, Bauer Media and the BBC.
“SoundCloud’s influence in pop culture is felt globally and their fast-paced and progressive approach to challenging the status quo in the music industry is refreshing,” said Lovell. “I look forward to working with Lauren and the team to continue the brilliant and innovative work SoundCloud has already done to create connection between their vibrant artist and fan communities.”
Josephine Vaccarello, a 25-year veteran of Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp., has been promoted to the role of executive vp, live.
In the new role, Vaccarello will lead MSG’s live entertainment bookings business at all the company’s venues, which include New York’s Madison Square Garden, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and Beacon Theatre. Vaccarelllo takes on the new role after serving as senior vp, MSG Live, in which she booked concerts, comedy, special events and residencies including Billy Joel, Harry Styles at Madison Square Garden and Jerry Seinfeld’s Beacon Theatre residency.
She will also be responsible for booking residencies at the MSG Sphere in Las Vegas, which is set to open in the second half of 2023. Vaccarello started at the company in 1998 as an administrative assistant.
“Throughout my 25 years at this Company, I’ve had unique opportunities to grow and evolve my career within the organization, and I’m honored to take on this elevated leadership role, particularly as MSG Entertainment expands its live entertainment business. We have a lot of big ideas for the future that will make an indelible mark on live entertainment and I’m looking forward to continuing to create iconic moments with artists for our fans in New York, Chicago and soon, Las Vegas,” Vaccarello said.
She will report to James Dolan, executive chairman and CEO of MSG Entertainment, in addition to his position as executive chairman of AMC Networks.
“Over her tenure at MSG Entertainment, Josephine has been instrumental in growing our live event business by pursuing innovative opportunities including multi-night bookings and unique residencies, and bringing unforgettable events featuring the world’s biggest artists to our venues,” Dolan said. “In this new leadership role, I am confident she will continue to raise the bar within the live entertainment industry by leveraging her unparalleled relationships and expertise across our portfolio and in booking our newest venue – the state-of-the-art MSG Sphere.”
This story was originally published on THR.com.
Oak View Group (OVG) has hired ASM Global’s senior vp of finance and global solutions Gary McAneney to serve as senior vp of finance and CFO at OVG’s UBS Arena at Belmont Park in New York.
Based in the Mid-Atlantic region, McAneney starts his new role effective immediately and will report to Francesca Bodie, president of business development for OVG, and Kim Stone, president of UBS Arena and executive vp of OVG East Coast.
“OVG has experienced unmatched industry growth over the last year, and Gary’s bold leadership and dynamic experience will be instrumental as we continue to steam ahead. We look forward to having him aboard,” said Bodie.
With more than 30 years of experience, McAneney will lead financial operations across all OVG-owned and operated venues within its ever-expanding business development division, plus oversee finance functions at UBS Arena.
“I’m pleased to welcome Gary to the team at UBS Arena,” Stone said. “With his diverse background in all financial disciplines, and proven ability to make valuable contributions, Gary will play a critical role at UBS Arena and be an asset across all other OVG divisions given his extensive experience in the industry.”
McAneney joined ASM Global in 2019 out of West Conshohocken, Penn., and has had a long career in the facilities business. At SMG, which merged with AEG Facilities to form ASM Global in Oct. 2019, he oversaw financial and accounting reporting for all of SMG’s operating contracts, including Mercedes Benz Superdome (New Orleans), NRG Stadium (Houston), Soldier Field (Chicago), U.S. Bank Stadium (Minneapolis) and Moscone Center (San Francisco).
“I’m excited to join the world-class team at Oak View Group, and for the opportunity to work with the most progressive and dynamic company in our industry. The quality of leadership and vision within OVG is unparalleled,” said McAneney.
YouTube executive Tim Matusch has joined Warner Music Group (WMG) as executive vp of strategy & operations. The news was announced in a company memo sent last week by CEO Robert Kyncl, who worked alongside Matusch at YouTube before stepping down as chief business officer at the company to join WMG.
Matusch most recently served as managing director of strategy and business operations at YouTube, a role he held for more than two years. Prior to that, he served in senior consulting roles at Boston Consulting Group and Oliver Wyman, where he spent more than 12 years and eventually rose to partner. He also worked in senior operating roles at AOL, including general manager at AOL.com and AOL Products. He graduated from Eton College in 1996 and earned his master’s at the University of Oxford in 2001.
In the memo sent to WMG staff and obtained by Billboard, Kyncl noted that Matusch will be working closely with the greater WMG leadership team “to help define, facilitate, and execute our 5–10 year vision” while also playing a key part in “evolving” the label’s “cross-company plans, including deploying business intelligence to strengthen our decision-making, developing and tracking a set of critical KPIs, and ensuring everyone is on the same page as we build our future together.”
Acknowledging that strategy & operations is “a new function” at WMG, Kyncl continued that he’s “a firm believer in tapping into, growing, and unleashing the expertise within the company itself. That way, we’re more directly investing in ourselves, and compounding our knowledge and skills over time. It results in well organized, better informed, more realistic plans.”
Kyncl added that he worked with Matusch “across a wide variety of projects” at YouTube and has “been consistently impressed by what his team has delivered and how they did it – in a very collaborative fashion – which is particularly important to me.”
Kyncl officially assumed the role of CEO at WMG on Jan. 1, though he’ll share CEO duties with outgoing chief executive Stephen Cooper for the remainder of the month. Matusch is the first major hire announced under Kyncl’s tenure.
SiriusXM has brought on Suzi Watford, the former chief marketing officer for Dow Jones and the Wall Street Journal, to oversee the satellite radio giant’s streaming subscription business, the company said on Tuesday.
Watford will join SiriusXM in the newly created role of chief growth officer and report to Joe Verbrugge, SiriusXM’s chief commercial officer. Her position will also include oversight of corporate marketing, data and research across SiriusXM and Pandora.
“Suzi has repeatedly demonstrated her ability to build and lead talented teams to evolve and grow profitable consumer subscription businesses, and we are thrilled to have her join us,” Verbrugge said in a statement.
Watford has spent the majority of her career at Murdoch-controlled media companies like News Corp.’s News U.K., in addition to the WSJ and Dow Jones. She most recently served as the chief marketing and membership officer for Dow Jones, overseeing marketing and subscription strategies across WSJ, Barron’s and MarketWatch.
Watford will be based in New York City.
“I’m looking forward to joining the talented team at SiriusXM at this stage in the company’s journey and playing a role as we look to attract and retain new growth audiences,” Watford said.
SiriusXM last reported having 32.2 million self-paying subscribers and 34.2 million total users at the end of September. During the same quarter, Pandora lost a net of 52,000 self-pay subscribers, leaving the music streaming service with a total of 6.29 million subscribers. The company will report its Q4 2022 earnings on Feb. 2.
This article was originally published on THR.com.