Sylvia Rhone Leaving Role As Chair/CEO of Epic Records
The first Black executive and woman to chair a major record company, her tenure at Epic is just one success story in the trailblazer’s five-decade career.
Sylvia Rhone, the first Black industry executive and woman to chair a major record company, is exiting her post as chairwoman/CEO of Epic Records. Effective at the end of this month, Rhone’s departure comes six years after she was promoted to chair/CEO in 2019. Prior to that, Rhone had served as Epic’s president since 2014.
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In a statement to global Sony Music employees obtained by Billboard, Sony Music Group chairman Rob Stringer said, “Today, I want to take a moment to reflect on the extraordinary career of Sylvia Rhone. In an industry defined by its constant evolution, Sylvia has adapted and embraced change, time and time again. Her journey is more than just a list of accomplishments. She is a trailblazing executive with a distinguished background and unwavering commitment to supporting artists.
“She has made history including becoming the first woman to be named Chair of a major record company and guided some of the biggest artists in our business across every genre. Sylvia’s influence is rooted in an understanding of music’s power to connect with people.
“And as Chairwoman and CEO of our Epic Records, she has shepherded No. 1 chart successes with 21 Savage, Future, Travis Scott and Tyla among others. It has been our honor to work with a true icon and our collective responsibility to continue to build on her work at Epic Records. Thank you, Sylvia, for your leadership and inspiration.”
In a letter obtained by Billboard that Rhone addressed to “My Sony Family,” she said in part, “It’s been an extraordinary journey: 11 years since my promotion to President of Epic Records and six years since my appointment as chairwoman and CEO. This role at Epic represents the third time in my career that I’ve been the first woman and first Black person to serve as CEO of a major record label owned by a Fortune 500 company.
“And today, I am moving on from this historic role at Epic and I’m very excited about the future. I’ve always been surrounded by excellent teams, but our current one at Epic is extraordinary. Spanning multiple generations, our team understands music’s history, finds meaning in complex data, and anticipates emerging trends. From Travis Scott, Future and 21 Savage, to Meghan Trainor, Tyla and Madison Beer, Zara Larsson to Giveon and Mariah The Scientist, Q-Tip to Andre 3000 and the late, great Ozzy Osbourne, Epic artists thrive through bespoke campaigns that honor their unique voices and goals … From day one, we set out to build something special at Epic — and we have.
“This moment of my transition invites reflection on a journey that has been wide-ranging in its scope and impact … I am blessed to have worked with some of the most brilliant and influential artists in the history of recorded music. And I’ve discovered this: when we channel our strength and creativity in service of a vision, and collaborate with artists who do the same, we create music that reflects our world, questions our assumptions and uplifts our spirits. This is a kind of magic, a deeply human connection. Right now, when music’s DNA is being reimagined, when artists face existential challenges, and when all of us are building the future in real time, there is little that is more profound.
“I am forever grateful for my prior teammates from over the years. Not only did we work great music, but we also created an amazing network of advocacy and goodwill! Thanks to Rob Stringer for his trust and camaraderie and to Doug Morris for empowering me to shatter the glass ceiling … I have worked in our industry since vinyl ruled, and women were rarely if ever in line for C-level or even vice-presidential roles. I am proud of my achievements, and of my commitment to those who take inspiration from them.”
There is no word at this time as to who will succeed Rhone, whose exit further illuminates the underrepresentation of women and people of color in music’s top C-suite echelon. Her departure follows in the wake of three other label chair/CEO exits: Capitol Music Group’s Michelle Jubelirer and Atlantic Music Group’s chair/CEO Julie Greenwald — both in 2024 — and UMG Nashville’s Cindy Mabe earlier this year. Former Motown chair/CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam left that post at the end of 2022.
Currently the only woman chair/CEO in the major label system is Taylor Lindsey at Sony Music Nashville, who joined the label at the top of 2025. And Def Jam Recordings’ Tunji Balogun is now the only Black chair/CEO heading a major record label. Outside of the labels, Jody Gerson is the global chair/CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group and was just named to the board of Gap. Carianne Marshall is also co-chair/COO at Warner Chappell Music. Other high-ranking women within the major label setup include Wendy Goldstein, president/CCO of Republic Collective; Lilia Parsa, president of Capitol Records; Michele An, president/head of creative strategy at Interscope; Annie Lee, COO of Interscope Capitol Labels Group; Michele Anthony, executive vp of UMG; Jaqueline Saturn, president of North America at Virgin Music Group; Dawn Olejar, COO of Verve Label Group; Susan Mazo, executive vp/chief impact officer at UMG; Jenifer Mallory, president at Columbia; Juliette Jones, COO of Alamo; Rayna Bass, co-president at 300; Marsha St. Hubert, co-president at 10K; Cris Lacy, co-president/co-chair at Warner Nashville; and Clio Massey, co-president at Arista, among others.
Over the course of her 11-year tenure at Epic, Rhone helmed a diverse global roster of established and rising stars such as Future, Travis Scott, 21 Savage, Tyla, Andre 3000, Camila Cabello, GIVEON, Mariah the Scientist, Meghan Trainor, Judas Priest and the late Ozzy Osbourne. Over the last two years, the label has scored chart wins by Future (a trio of Billboard 200 No. 1s with We Don’t Trust You, We Still Don’t Trust You and Mixtape Pluto), 21 Savage (American Dream) and Travis Scott (UTOPIA) as well as the top 10 Hot 100 mega-hit “Water” by South African artist Tyla, who won the first-ever Grammy for best African music performance in 2024.
A division of Sony Music Entertainment — along with sister frontline labels Columbia Records, RCA Records, Alamo Records and Sony Music Nashville — Epic registered a significant gain in year-end 2024 current U.S. market share, jumping to 2.59% from 2.31% to secure eighth place. And in terms of year-end 2024 overall market share, the label claimed eighth place with 2.67%. Currently, Epic stands at 1.66% for 2025.
Rhone’s trailblazing, five-decade career evolution from record label secretary to chairwoman/CEO in the still overwhelmingly male-dominated music business has inspired generations of women pursuing C-suite roles in the industry. The music-loving Harlem, NY native and Wharton School graduate’s ascension dates back to 1974 when she eschewed a banking career for an entry-level secretarial job with independent label Buddah Records. Subsequent learn-the-ropes jobs with labels including ABC Records and Ariola Records led to Rhone being hired by Elektra Records as northeast regional promotions manager of special markets in 1981.
Five years later in 1986, Rhone was promoted from her then-post as Atlantic Records’ director of national Black music promotions to vp/gm of Black music operations at Atlantic. Two years later, in 1988, she was elevated to senior vp of Atlantic’s Black music division. During her Atlantic tenure, Rhone guided the careers of, among others, LeVert, En Vogue and Brandy. As an early champion of hip-hop, she also brought artists such as MC Lyte, The D.O.C., Yo-Yo and Kwame to the forefront.
When Atlantic established East West Records America in 1990, Rhone broke music’s executive glass ceiling for the first time when she was named the new label’s chairman in 1990. Its roster ran the gamut from rockers Pantera and AC/DC to pop/soul band Simply Red and hip-hop duo Das EFX.
Rhone shattered the glass ceiling once more when she made history as the first Black woman to be appointed chairman and CEO of a major record company — Elektra Entertainment Group (EEG) — in 1994. Piloting the merger of Elektra, East West and Sire Records into EEG, Rhone developed a diverse roster that included Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, Metallica, Yolanda Adams, Anita Baker, Tracy Chapman, Phish, Natalie Merchant and Jason Mraz.
Exiting Elektra after a 10-year tenure in 2004, Rhone was named president of Universal Motown Records, executive vp of Universal Records and chairman of the Universal Motown Record Group that same year. Two years later, the Universal group was split into two labels, Universal Republic Records and Universal Motown Records. Named president of the latter label, Rhone released key projects via both Cash Money Records (Lil Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj) and Motown (Kelly Rowland, Erykah Badu, Akon, Kid Cudi). A year after leaving Universal Motown in 2011, Rhone established her own boutique label, Vested In Culture, in partnership with Epic Records. Two years later in 2014, she began her 11-year tenure with Epic — first as its president then as chair/CEO.
Over the course of her pioneering career, Rhone has won a host of accolades, including the City of Hope’s Spirit of Life Award, the Black Music Collective’s Recording Academy Global Impact Award, the Black Music Action Coalition’s BMAC Clarence Avant Trailblazer Award and the Vanguard Award at the inaugural Black Women in Music dinner last year. Named Billboard’s Women in Music executive of the year in 2023, Rhone was saluted as “a force, an alchemist, a savant of creative artistry and an inspiration to all women for the glass ceilings you have conquered.”
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