News

It’s time to tighten our belts for another Executive Turntable, Billboard’s weekly compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across the music business. There’s been a gob of staffing news this week, so let’s hop to it.
Dawn Gates, senior vp of digital business and creative development at Universal Music Group Nashville (UMGN), announced her departure after nearly 20 years to launch Seven Note Enterprises, a consulting and management firm. Her exit coincides with UMGN’s rebranding as MCA under new leadership by CEO Mike Harris and chief creative officer Dave Cobb, who came aboard in early February following the departure of Cindy Mabe. During her tenure with UMG Nashville, Gates most recently served as the core liaison for global digital businesses, integration strategies and marketing initiatives. Gates initiated the launch of and oversaw Sing Me Back Home Productions, a production arm of UMG Nashville, established in 2024. Gates, who recently welcomed twins with her wife, Harper Grae, expressed gratitude for her time at UMGN and excitement for her new venture.

“After 19 transformative years with Universal Music Group, I’m stepping away to write the next chapters of my career,” said Gates, who can be reached at dawn@seven-note.com. “I’m deeply grateful to UMG – especially Mike Dungan and Cindy Mabe – for the belief in my vision and the support in taking bold, often unconventional, risks. I’ve had the privilege of working alongside some of the most innovative and driven minds in music. However, the industry continues to shift and the way we develop artists, build stories, and connect with audiences is changing – and so am I.”

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Meanwhile…

Universal Music UK appointed Rachel Tregenza and Charlotte Allan to lead its communications and policy team, reporting to svp of communications and policy Tom Williams. Tregenza, a Universal Music Group veteran of over a decade, steps into the role of senior director of communications and global artist strategy. She will focus on international storytelling for UMUK artists and collaborate with the audience and media division. Allan joins as vp of global communications and public policy from Milltown Partners, where she advised clients across creative and tech sectors. Her responsibilities will include corporate communications and UK policy initiatives. Williams, who has led global communications campaigns for UMG, will now oversee all communications and public policy efforts for Universal Music UK. Jonathan Badyal, who has spent eight years at UMUK, most recently as director of communications, will depart this summer for a new opportunity. UMUK president Dickon Stainer praised Tregenza and Allan for bringing a dynamic perspective and thanked Badyal for his contributions. “With Tom’s guidance, they have a fresh and ambitious perspective both for our communications and storytelling in the UK, as well as the international storylines of our UK artists overseas,” said Stainer.

iHeartMedia appointed David Hillman as executive vice president, chief legal officer and secretary. Hillman, who is based in Los Angeles, will oversee all legal matters, including compliance, regulatory, corporate governance, government and business affairs, and privacy teams. He brings extensive media experience, having recently served as chief legal officer at Venu Sports, a joint venture between ESPN, FOX, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Hillman also held roles at Paramount Global, Simon & Schuster and Westwood One. Bob Pittman, iHeartMedia’s chairman and CEO, praised Hillman’s relevant experience and “familiarity with the audio industry.” Hillman added: “I look forward to working with iHeart’s leadership, partners, and the talented Legal team to help advance the company across every corner of the audio landscape.”

Virgin Music Group promoted Hannah Thompson-Waitt to senior vice president of commercial strategy. In her new role, she’ll lead the U.S. commercial team from the company’s Los Angeles headquarters, focusing on streaming strategy, analysis and fan acquisition across a wide swath of artists. Thompson-Waitt, who reports to Zack Gershen, evp of global commercial and digital strategy, previously served as vp of commercial strategy and held senior roles at mtheory, with a career that began in 2014 when she launched her own K-pop media company. Her experience includes work with Clairo, St. Vincent and others. She also sits on the advisory board of Queer Capita and holds degrees from the University of Texas and NYU.

Michael Beckerman has been named the next dean of The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, beginning no later than Oct. 1 of this year. A leading musicologist known for his work in Czech and Eastern European music, Beckerman has held academic positions at NYU, UC Santa Barbara and Washington University in St. Louis, and has authored seven books and received prestigious honors such as the Dvořák and Janáček Medals. Beckerman holds degrees from Hofstra and Columbia, and serves on various academic boards. UCLA executive vice chancellor and provost Darnell Hunt lauded Beckerman’s credentials, saying his “academic, professional and administrative experience and achievements, coupled with his UC roots, position him well to lead The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music at this pivotal moment.” Beckerman, in turn, emphasized his passion for music and dedication to supporting students and expanding the school’s reach locally and internationally. The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music combines performance, scholarship and music industry training in its program.

Messina Touring Group made a round of promotions. The company has elevated Nick Ayoub to head of digital strategy and operations, to lead MTG’s overall digital operations. Ayoub also leads digital strategy for record-breaking stadium tours, including those by Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and more. Kara Smoak rises to director of digital marketing and continuing to lead digital marketing and creative strategy for all MTG country artists, including George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Blake Shelton and more. Meesha Kosciolek has been promoted to director of production, MTG Nashville, while Alvin Abshire has risen to digital operations manager. Lucy Freeman has been promoted to digital marketing manager, and Madison Machen has been elevated to manager, partnerships and branding. –Jessica Nicholson

Black River Entertainment named LeAnn Bennett as vice president of label services. In her new role, Bennett will oversee business affairs, A&R administration and sync licensing, reporting to EVP Rick Froio. A longtime consultant for Black River, she officially joins the team with over 30 years of industry experience, including past roles at Capitol Records Nashville, Compass Records and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Since 2010, she has also led Bennett Entertainment Group. Froio praised the move, calling it “a natural fit,” while Bennett called the BRE “the best in the business.”

NASHVILLE NOTES: Curb Records elevated Allyson Gelnett (Massey) to national director of promotion & strategic initiatives, up from her previous role as director of promotion. Since joining the label in 2018, Gelnett has played a key role in developing artist campaigns and driving success across country radio. In her expanded role, she’ll work alongside svp of promotion RJ Meacham to craft and implement strategies aimed at growing fanbases and boosting airplay in top markets … Warner Music Nashville promoted two members of its commercial partnerships team: Katherine Firsching shifted to partnerships director from manager of video strategy, and Blair Poirier stepped up to division manager from coordinator.

Darkroom Records named Nina Lee as head of communications and publicity. Based in New York, Lee will lead the label’s communication strategies and publicity campaigns, collaborating closely with CEO Justin Lubliner and the Darkroom team. With over ten years of experience in music, tech and entertainment PR, Lee will manage publicity for artists including d4vd, John Summit, and Wisp. Meanwhile, Alexandra Baker of High Rise PR continues to oversee campaigns for Billie Eilish and FINNEAS. Previously, Lee held senior roles at Shore Fire Media and The Oriel Company. A first-gen Korean American and NYU alum, she is a strong advocate for equity in entertainment and mentors through the Next Gem Femme program. Lubliner praised Lee’s creative approach and deep understanding of artist development, noting “she understands the importance of narrative and works closely with artists to help them best tell their stories.”

Ikenna Nwagboso and Camillo Doregos launched Hi-Way 89 Entertainment, a new music company based between Toronto and Calgary, with distribution through Vydia/gamma. The company focuses on artist development and label services, highlighting talent from Canada and Africa. Their first major signing is Canadian pop/R&B singer Chrissy Spratt, whose debut single “In Too Deep” releases on April 25. Nwagboso, co-founder of emPawa Africa, has launched careers for artists like Joeboy and Fave. Doregos, founder of DC Talent Agency, has worked with artists like Pheelz and booked talent for major festivals. Both hail from Nigeria, and Hi-Way 89 has also signed Nigerian artist Siraheem and South African DJ Chelsea Sloan, aiming to bridge African and Canadian music markets.

BOARD SHORTS: The MLC put out an APB seeking candidates for its board of directors and several key committees. Several terms for publisher reps are expiring this year, with elections for open seats taking place soon. Selected members will serve three-year terms, with the possibility of renewal. Current openings include one publisher seat on the Dispute Resolution Committee, two on the Operations Advisory Committee, and two on the Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee. These groups provide policy and procedural recommendations to the board. Suggestions are due by May 22 and can be submitted via this form … AEG Presents executive Brent Fedrizzi was elected to his second non-consecutive term as board president of the North American Concert Promoters Association, following the trade group’s annual meeting April 15 at the Beverly Wilshire in Los Angeles. (His initial term ended in 2022, with Jodi Goodman succeeding him.) NACPA also elected 2025 board members, including Anthony Nicolaidis (Live Nation), Chuck Steedman (The Live Co.), Jodi Goodman (Live Nation) and John Valentino (AEG).

Shelby Paul launched boutique public relations firm Evolvance PR, specializing in strategic communications, media relations, story development and more. Paul previously worked as director of communications at Big Machine Label Group, leading media strategy for the label and its publishing arm Big Machine Music. At BMLG, she worked with artists including Carly Pearce, Conner Smith, Thomas Rhett, Lady A, Rascal Flatts, songwriters Jessie Jo Dillon and Laura Veltz, and more. Paul’s prior stops include the Academy of Country Music, Detroit Pistons and Allied Global Marketing. –J.N.

Trent Allison has been promoted to senior director of sales and special events for AEG Presents‘ venues in Georgia and Tennessee. Based in Nashville, he will oversee certain events at The Pinnacle, AEG’s new flagship venue, while continuing his leadership at The Eastern, Terminal West, Variety Playhouse and Georgia Theater. Reporting to regional vp Mike DuCharme, Allison brings over 25 years of sales experience and a strong track record in revenue growth. Margarita Rios will become director of sales in Georgia, and Dell Ressl will be promoted to sales and operations manager, both reporting to Allison. Allison has been key to AEG’s venue expansion in Georgia since 2013.

Discord appointed Humam Sakhnini as chief executive officer, effective April 28. He will also join the board of directors. Co-founder Jason Citron will transition to an advisor role while remaining on the board, and Stanislav Vishnevskiy continues as chief technology officer. Sakhnini, with over 15 years of gaming industry experience, previously held leadership roles at Activision Blizzard and King Digital Entertainment. His appointment aligns with Discord’s renewed focus on gaming, including expansions into advertising, micro-transactions, and developer tools. Discord serves over 200 million monthly active users, who spend 2 billion hours gaming each month, and has seen strong revenue growth.

ALL IN THE FAMILY: Tim Chan is promoted to vp of e-commerce at PMC. In his new role, he will lead editorial strategy and performance across PMC’s e-commerce initiatives, collaborating with editorial, sales, and revenue teams to meet commerce goals. Chan will oversee shopping, hospitality and consumer tech content for PMC’s fashion and entertainment brands, including Billboard, and spearhead projects to grow revenue and audience reach. Chan joined PMC in 2016 as the founding editor of Spy.com and later became lifestyle editor at Rolling Stone. He has also worked at Snapchat, founded the independent fashion magazine Corduroy, and began his career in Canada as a producer for E! Network and MuchMusic. Craig Perreault, PMC’s chief strategy officer, praised Chan’s talent and creativity since joining the company nearly a decade ago: “He brings his deep talent, creativity and natural business instincts to everything he does and is responsible for significantly growing our e-commerce programs across the portfolio.”

ICYMI:

Nicole George-Middleton

Universal Music Group Nashville is rebranding as MCA under CEO Mike Harris and chief creative officer Dave Cobb. Staffing changes include Katie McCartney as executive vp and general manager and Tom LaScola as head of artist and audience strategy, reflecting the new direction … Atlantic veteran Gina Tucci launched a new independent dance label, 146 Records … Nicole George-Middleton was elevated to evp and head of creative membership at ASCAP. [Keep Reading]

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