Warner Music Group has announced dramatic changes in its recorded music operations:
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Max Lousada (pictured above, left), CEO of recorded music and a 20-year veteran of the company, will step down at the end of the fiscal year (September 30), although he will remain as an advisor through Jan. 31, 2025;
At the same time, Julie Greenwald has begun a leadership transition, which will see her take on a new role as chairman of Atlantic Music Group, reporting to Robert Kyncl, WMG CEO, an elevation of her previous role as CEO;
Effective October 1, Elliot Grainge (pictured above, right), 10K Projects founder & CEO, will become CEO of Atlantic Music Group, reporting to Kyncl. Grainge, son of Universal Music Group chairman-CEO Lucian Grainge, became part of the global senior management team last year, after the company acquired a majority stake in his trailblazing label. Atlantic, which already includes the Elektra label, will now include 10K under its purview;
Atlantic Records chairman-CEO Craig Kallman, a 30-plus year veteran of the company and one of the most successful A&R people of that same time period, will shift into a more A&R-oriented role, which has largely been the case since he and Greenwald were appointed to their leadership roles more than 20 years ago, which saw him essentially handling the music while she ran the company.
The moves also reflect a big change in structure: According to the announcement, effective October 1, “the new, flatter structure will elevate creative regional leadership, supported by global services, delivering maximum impact for artists on the world stage. WMG’s Recorded Music regional and divisional leaders will report directly to Kyncl. In the new structure, WMG will neither have the roles of CEO of recorded music nor president of international recorded music.”
• Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA) – will be overseen by seasoned exec Simon Robson. The UK & Ireland group will now be part of European operations.
• Latin America (LATAM) – including WM Latina, will continue to be run by Alejandro Duque, who has made a big impact on the region since joining WMG in 2021.
• Asia Pacific (APAC) – a leader will be appointed to the newly created position overseeing the entire APAC region.
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• US – will be organized in two label groups. Atlantic Music Group, to be run by Elliot Grainge as CEO, already includes Atlantic Records and 300 Elektra Entertainment – and will now also encompass recently acquired 10K Projects, while continuing to benefit from the creative expertise of A&R legend Craig Kallman. Warner Records, which has enjoyed a resurgence under Tom Corson and Aaron Bay-Schuck – will now include oversight of Warner Music Nashville, along with Nonesuch and Reprise.
At the same time, Warner Music Group is changing its central global operations across distribution (via ADA), Global Catalog, Marketing, and WMX (including merchandising and Direct To Fan). As a result, effective October 1, the respective heads of those divisions will report to Kyncl.
Robert Kyncl said: “On behalf of everyone at WMG, I’d like to thank Max for his extraordinary achievements over the last twenty years. Max is a true artists’ champion, who created a culture that puts artistry first, growing our global reach and building a roster of incredible talent and an outstanding team. I’m grateful that he’ll be helping to ensure a smooth transition.”
He added: “I’m very happy to promote Elliot to his new position, and delighted that Julie will be taking on her new role, both of them working with Craig, as we take this iconic label to even greater heights. Elliot has been a stellar addition to WMG’s leadership team, with a distinctive approach to artist development. We have an amazing bench of creative leaders, and I’m looking forward to working more closely with them, as we collaborate on the company’s next phase of creative excellence, commercial transformation, and growing revenues. At a time when global culture moves at the speed of light, we’re doubling down on great artists and diverse music scenes, empowering our talent and team to have maximum impact.”
Over the course of Lousada’s long history at the company — for which he was CEO of recorded music for the last eight years — he struck major partnerships and/or worked closely with such artists as Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Charli XCX, Megan Thee Stallion, Bruno Mars, Dua Lipa, Cardi B and many others, as well as helping to grow the careers of many executives. In Thursday’s announcement, he said:
“Over the past two decades, we created something special together at Warner: a music company built for artists, where original voices are championed, where their creativity is honored and protected, and where superstar careers are ignited. I’m proud to have grown a world-class team who share that vision and whose enterprise and energy have brought in new labels, rebuilt iconic brands, expanded our global network, and pioneered new fan experiences. The music business has always been about evolution, and the time has come for me to build something new. I’ll be helping the team through this transition, and I have no doubt they’ll continue to develop artists who move the world.”
Julie Greenwald said: “My whole career is about developing baby bands into career artists and empowering our amazing people to change culture in unexpected ways. It’s been twenty years since I walked through the door at Atlantic and began the work of rearchitecting this iconic label. I couldn’t have done it without the deep passion and dedication of my incredible team, and our unbelievable artists, who make music that inspires and moves people everywhere. Finally, I want to welcome Elliot; I’m looking forward to working with him as we continue to place our artists and their music at the heart of this company.”
Elliot Grainge said: “It will be a huge honor to join such a legendary label group, partner with its iconic artists, and build on the extraordinary achievements of Julie and Craig – they’re leading a second golden age at Atlantic Records. I’m excited to work with the talented team at Atlantic Music Group to take the artists and the brand into fresh territory, and continue to nurture 10K’s artists and its unique spirit. Together, we’ll pioneer powerful opportunities for the creative community and raise up a new generation of superstars. In the meantime, I’d like to thank Max for his faith in me and Robert for trusting me with this great responsibility.”
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