Executive Turntable: Ex-UMG UK CEO Lands at Royal Nonprofit, Plus the Country Hall Elects Board
A very patriotic roundup of promotions, hires, exits and everything in between across music.
David Joseph, longtime chairman and CEO of Universal Music UK, has been appointed CEO of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), beginning in September. Joseph brings over 17 years of leadership in the music industry, having transformed UMUK into a global force before leaving the biz completely late last year. Known for his collaborative approach, Joseph has also championed social impact initiatives, including neurodiversity in the workplace through UMG’s “Creative Differences” handbook and community advocacy as chair of the Grenfell Foundation. He served as executive producer of the Oscar-winning Amy documentary and has produced the acclaimed BRIT Awards. Joseph succeeds Andy Haldane and will lead the 271-year-old nonprofit’s global mission to drive social progress through ideas and action in education, the arts, manufacturing and commerce. “David’s commitment to effecting social change, his compassion and his commitment to nurturing people is exemplary,” said Lloyd Grossman, chair of the RSA. “We are thrilled that David will join us, knowing that he will foster a collaborative and caring culture that speaks to our fellows, partners, staff teams and the wider world.”
Chrysalis Records, part of the Reservoir group, bumped up Tina McBye to senior vice president of commercial music operations. Based in London, she will report to COO Alison Wenham and continue leading commercial music operations across the group, including Blue Raincoat Music, Blue Raincoat Artists and labels like New State and Tommy Boy. Since joining in 2023, Tina has built a robust department supporting releases, catalog acquisitions and neighboring rights management. With a background at PPL and PRS, she brings deep expertise in neighboring rights. “Since [McBye] joined the company, she has made an enormous and transformative contribution to the development of our operations capability,” said Alison Wenham, chief operating officer, adding that she’ll continue focusing on the Chrysalis roster but will also take the lead in shaping and overseeing commercial music operations across the broader Blue Raincoat Group.
Rusty Gaston, the CEO of Sony Music Publishing Nashville, was named to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s board of officers and trustees. Jody Williams Songs founder Jody Williams was reelected as board chair, while other re-elected executive officers include Vince Gill (president), Al Giombetti (evp), David Ross (secretary) and Ernie Williams (treasurer). Ross, Ernie Williams and Jody Williams were also reelected as trustees. Other returning trustees include Mark Bloom, David Conrad, J. William Denny, Rod Essig, Al Giombetti, Ken Levitan and Mary Ann McCready, while returning officers include Earl Bentz, Sara Finley, Becky Gardenhire, Lon Helton, Clint Higham, Cindy Mabe, Gary Overton, Jim Seabury, Bill Simmons, Clarence Spalding, Chris Stewart, Troy Tomlinson, Jay Turner, Marcus Whitney and Tim Wipperman. –Jessica Nicholson
NASHVILLE NOTES: PR executive Krista Dykes launched the podcast booking and publicity agency She Laughs Media. Dykes most recently served as senior media relations manager at PLA Media and served as media relations manager at the Country Music Association from 2015-2023 … Big Machine Label Group hired director of digital marketing Sarah Bertrand. She spent the last three years with UMGN, where she was a digital marketing manager … Ailie Birchfield joined MCA as a publicist, marking a return to the company. She served as director of media marketing when it was known as UMGN, prior to a 2021 move to New York. She also runs the Nashville-based PR firm The Birchfield Group. (Want more Nashville-centric industry news? Subscribe to Tom Roland’s Country Update newsletter here.)
WMA, a global digital marketing and creative agency, appointed Andy Saiker as head of PR, socia and marketing for the UK and Europe. Effective immediately, the Londoner will oversee the PR and social teams and help expand WMA’s global marketing operations in the region. He brings experience from Warner Music, BMG Production Music and most recently, TikTok, where as senior partnerships manager for the last few years he led successful campaigns like Team GB x TikTok and StemDrop. “Andy’s deep understanding of music and digital culture makes him an incredible addition to the agency,” said Crystina Cinti, global vp at WMA.
Sotaro Nishida is now executive officer and senior vp of audio at Yamaha Corporation of America (YCA), a newly established role in which he will lead both the consumer and professional audio divisions, focusing on expanding the company’s presence in the U.S. market.Previously CEO of Yamaha Unified Communications, Nishida brings over 20 years of global experience, including roles in Europe, Japan and Latin America. His leadership follows YCA’s 2024 integration of unified communications operations. Based in Southern California, Nishida is expected to drive growth in the U.S. market, building on Yamaha’s strong presence in live sound, commercial and home audio.
Wiles + Taylor, a Nashville-based entertainment business management firm, elevated Lizzy Stone and Amy Gellick to account manager as part of five internal promotions. Stone, who joined in 2018, is active in several industry organizations and was part of the 2024 ACM LEVel Up Cohort. Gellick, with the firm since 2016, serves on the boards of the Women’s Music Business Association and SOLID. Karla Stafford, a 20-year veteran of the firm, is now director of financial reporting and compliance, while David Zeigler and David Murray have both been promoted to business manager. Zeigler joined in 2018 and is known for his passion for live music and travel, and Murray, a CPA, has been with W+T since 2016.
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Audacy is shutting down Pineapple Street Studios, its podcast production arm, as part of a broader restructuring effort, resulting in approximately 30 layoffs. Founded in 2016 and acquired by Audacy (then Entercom) for $18 million in 2019, Pineapple Street was known for producing original and companion podcasts for major streaming platforms, including House of the Dragon, Severance and The Last of Us. The closure follows earlier reports of a potential sale and the February departure of co-founder Jenna Weiss-Berman, who has since joined Paper Kite Productions. Audacy will continue select Pineapple Street projects under its newly formed Audacy Podcasts division, including The Severance Podcast, now produced in collaboration with Red Hour and Great Scott.
Zebralution, a digital music distributor, announced key leadership changes to support its global expansion. William Hallström has been promoted to head of international business development while continuing as svp for the UK, Ireland and the Nordics. In this dual role, he’ll connect global teams with the Berlin headquarters and strengthen international operations. Hallström, who reports to Michael Schick in Berlin, brings experience from Universal Music and Sony Music. Additionally, Harry Barrett joins as sales and marketing manager UK/Dance Stores, bringing expertise from IDOL, while Zhenya Ivanova, formerly a playlist editor at Spotify, becomes sales and marketing manager in the U.S., based in New York. Both Barrett and Ivanov report to Lisa Riepe, head of sales and marketing.
The California Copyright Conference (CCC) announced its newly elected officers and board of directors for the 2025–2026 season. Carolyn Soyars (Disney Music Group) will serve as president, joined by Jonathan Lane, Alexandra Guzman, Sarah Brockman and Janelle Hawkes in key officer roles. Re-elected board members include Kristina Benson, Reggie Calloway, and Cheryl Dickerson. New board members are Lily Kline-Koenig, Melanie Santa Rosa, Patrick Smith, and alternate Jack Mangikyan. Several members are continuing their second terms. CCC, founded in 1953, has over 300 global members and provides educational events and resources on copyright and music industry developments.
Last Week’s Turntable: Jody Gerson Joins Ancestry Board
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