Here’s a summary of recent changes and promotions in the music industry as of January 12th, 2024.
Gibson:
Luke Ericson, who served as Gibson’s interim COO since May, has officially taken on the role permanently.
Deezer:
Former Meta product-marketing director Ivana Kirkbride has been appointed as the Chief Commercial Officer at Deezer.
Beatport:
Matt Gralen has been promoted to President at the Beatport Group, while Helen Sartory, a team member for almost two years, has been elevated to the position of CRO (Chief Revenue Officer).
Utopia:
Michael Stebler has replaced Alain Couttolenc as CEO of Utopia Music. Couttolenc is now Deputy CEO and Chief Commercial Officer, and Drew Hill and Pedro Lima have also taken on Deputy CEO and COO roles, respectively.
Arista:
Sharon Timure, a seasoned marketing professional from Island, has been appointed Head of Marketing at Sony Music’s Arista. Kelsey Hession, formerly with Glassnote, is now leading publicity efforts.
ArtistVerified:
The eight-person advisory board for ArtistVerified includes individuals like Maria Gironas, Bruce Hamilton, Alex Medana, Rob Nicholson, Rian Rochford, Steve Stewart, Michael Swell, and Michelle Yuen.
Fair Trade Services:
Darren Elrod has been promoted to President, and James Rueger is now Chief Creative Officer at indie Christian music company Fair Trade Services.
US Patent & Trademark Office:
Sharon Israel has been appointed Chief Policy Officer and Director for International Affairs at the USPTO, a move welcomed by the RIAA.
DistroKid:
Philip Kaplan, founder of DistroKid, is transitioning to the role of Chairman, while Phil Bauer, COO and a CD Baby veteran, is now President.
ASM Global:
Jason Rio, formerly with Live Nation, joins ASM Global as SVP of Live Entertainment and Content Development.
Heavys:
Itay Rahat, with over 10 years at Warner Music, is named Chief Commercial Officer at Heavys, a metal-focused immersive audio business.
iHeartMedia:
Seth Pitkin is announced as Market President for Des Moines, and Zann Fredlund is transitioning from Seattle to become Program Director for San Antonio and Austin.
One Finnix Live:
Bex Wedlake, a UTA veteran, has been appointed as a U.S.-based Booking Agent for London-based live music agency One Finnix Live.
EastCoast Entertainment:
Kaitlin Sweeney, with 10 years of experience, is promoted to Managing Partner at entertainment agency ECE.
Longborough Festival Opera:
Emily Gottlieb, formerly with the National Opera Studio, is now the Executive Director at Longborough Festival Opera.
Topeka Music Vacations:
Anthony Diaz is appointed COO, Rachel Voorhies as Senior Operations Director, and Nicole Steed as Senior Marketing and Community Director at Topeka Music Vacations. All three have previous experience with Sixthman, another company founded by Topeka’s head, Andy Levine.
