REPUBLIC Collective
Mercury Records has promoted Tyler Arnold to chairman/CEO and Ben Adelson to president/COO of the label, the company announced Wednesday (March 5). Arnold previously served as president while Adelson served as general manager at the label, which they relaunched in 2022.
Under Arnold and Adelson’s leadership, Mercury has released hit albums including Post Malone’s F-1 Trillion and The Diamond Collection, Noah Kahan’s Stick Season (Forever) and, via the label’s partnership with Big Loud, Morgan Wallen‘s One Thing At A Time and Dangerous: The Double Album. Most recently, Wallen’s single “I’m the Problem” debuted at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Arnold and Adelson will report to REPUBLIC Collective founder/chairman/CEO Monte Lipman and founder/vice-chairman/COO Avery Lipman, who noted in a statement, “Tyler and Ben began their careers at Republic, and we’ve had a front-row seat to their incredible growth. It’s been nothing short of inspiring to watch. With Mercury, they are building a legacy that honors the label’s history by developing, breaking and supporting the next generation of career-defining artists.”
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“The last three years at Mercury have been incredibly special,” said Arnold. “I could not be prouder of our artists, our team and the culture we’ve created. Ben and I set out to build a label that supported artist development with time, patience and a real commitment to A&R and creative marketing. I’m very grateful to Monte and Avery for their continued support of our vision and am so excited for this next chapter of Mercury Records.”
Adelson added, “I am honored to continue building the legacy of Mercury Records. More than anything, I’m most proud of our authentic and dynamic roster and the team we have brought together. Thank you to Monte and Avery for their continued support and guidance.”
New York-based Arnold started as an intern at Republic Records and, after joining the label as an A&R assistant, signed Malone. He ultimately rose to the role of vp. In addition to Malone, he’s also signed such top acts as Metro Boomin and Bo Burnham and partnered with Big Loud to build Wallen into a superstar. He has been named to Billboard‘s Power 100, R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players, Country Power Players and 40 Under 40 lists.
Los Angeles-based Adelson also started at Republic as an intern and was hired as an assistant to Avery Lipman in 2008. He subsequently managed Young the Giant, kickstarting the band’s rise to an arena-level act, before rejoining Republic as director of A&R and rising to become executive vp of A&R in 2018. He has signed artists including Kahan, James Bay, Stephen Sanchez, Conan Gray and Lord Huron. He has been named to Billboard‘s Power 100, Country Power Players and 40 Under 40 lists.
The Mercury Records roster also includes AJR, Chelsea Cutler, Bay, Jeremy Zucker, Huron, Sanchez and ZAYN.
The REPUBLIC Collective, which includes Island Records, Def Jam Recordings, Mercury Records and Republic Records, has announced several executive promotions and new hires.
Recently, Jeffrey Remedios, former Universal Music Canada chief, was appointed president of strategic development. In his new role, Remedios oversees high-priority growth initiatives for Republic’s labels, focusing on international A&R, Republic recording studios, brand expansion, and more, reporting directly to REPUBLIC Collective CEO Monte Lipman and COO Avery Lipman.
Key promotions across departments include Joe Carozza as executive vp and global media officer, Brittney Ramsdell as evp of creative sync, Julie Vastola as svp of creative, and Zoë Briggs as vp of global marketing. Gary Spangler revamped the Audience team, elevating Natina Nimene to evp of urban audience and artist relations, Lucas Romeo to evp of pop audience, Brett Dumler to svp of pop audience, James Brown to svp of urban audience, and Roya Raji to vp of touring.
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Kevin Lipson expanded his team with strategic hires and promotions, including longtime Capitol Music Group svp of streaming strategy Jeff Temske coming over as evp of global research and analytics, and Colin Yost elevated to vp of innovation and gaming partnerships. Additionally, Brian Sutnick was promoted to evp of global replay strategy, Ryan Stevens to svp of commerce, Charlene Thomas to svp of global replay strategy, and Blair O’Brien to vp of commerce.
Monte Lipman praised these recent advancements, calling them “hard-earned and well-deserved,” and emphasized the collective’s commitment to artist development and finding “generational talent.”
The executive changes follow another record-breaking year for REPUBLIC Collective, which topped Billboard’s major year-end label rankings for the fourth consecutive year. In 2024, the collective amassed 72 albums on the Billboard 200, including 13 No. 1s, and 209 songs on the Hot 100, with eight chart-toppers, reinforcing its dominance in the music industry.
Universal Music Group announced on Friday (Feb. 7) that Julie Adam has been promoted to president and CEO of Universal Music Canada. She succeeds longtime chief Jeffrey Remedios, who has been named president of strategic development for REPUBLIC Collective, which includes Island, Def Jam, Mercury, and Republic Records. Both appointments are effective immediately.
Adam has served as executive vp and general manager of UMC since March 2023. In that role, she drove record-breaking success for UMG’s global and domestic artists in Canada, expanded e-commerce and direct-to-consumer initiatives, and strengthened brand partnerships. As CEO, she’ll lead the company’s overall strategy and operations. Before joining Universal, Adam spent nearly 24 years at Rogers Media. As president of news and entertainment, she led the strategy and oversaw the management and development of a portfolio of brands that spanned dozens of radio stations, podcast networks and TV channels.
“Julie is a generous, intuitive, and astute leader. Her impact since joining Universal has been transformative and can be felt industry wide: with artists, our team, and partners,” said Remedios. “Her passion and drive, coupled with her ability to laser-focus on results, all while ensuring the artist comes first, has propelled our roster to new heights. With Julie’s continued leadership, UMC is poised for the next phase of growth and evolution.”
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After a decade as chairman and CEO of UMC, Remedios will now lead high-priority growth initiatives for Republic’s labels, focusing on international A&R, Republic recording studios, brand expansion and more. He will work from both New York and Toronto, reporting to REPUBLIC Collective CEO Monte Lipman and COO Avery Lipman.
Jeffrey Remedios
Katherine Holland
During his time at UMC, Remedios redefined the company’s A&R strategy, dramatically boosting revenue for Canadian-signed artists. He also spearheaded the creation of UMC’s creative campus in downtown Toronto, establishing it as a hub for the broader music industry.
Reflecting on his tenure, Remedios stated deep pride in UMC’s evolution and appreciation for UMG leadership’s support. “I’ve dedicated my career to serving artists, and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built at Universal Music Canada,” he said, while also thanking Universal CEO Lucian Grainge and executive vp Michele Anthony for their mentorship. “The company I joined in 2015 and the one I leave in 2025 are vastly different—proof of our growth through creative innovation.”
“Jeffrey brings a wealth of experience as a leader and entrepreneur to the collective, said Monte Lipman. “In his new role, focused on exploring and capitalizing on opportunities in emerging areas of the industry, Jeffrey will play a critical role in scaling our business and proving new creative and commercial outlets for our artists.”
The leadership change in Toronto reflects similar actions taken by UMG approximately 700 miles south a day earlier. Following Cindy Mabe’s departure as CEO and chairman of Universal Music Group Nashville on Thursday, UMG announced the appointment of Mike Harris as CEO and producer and nine-time Grammy winner Dave Cobb as chief creative officer.
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