Newly Formed 'Warner Music Nashville' Will Include Warner Bros. Nashville, Word Entertainment and the Re-Launched Atlantic Nashville WEA Corp. President and CEO John Esposito Named President, Warner Music Nashville Mike Jbara to Succeed Esposito at WEA Corp.NEW YORK, NY, Sep 01, 2009 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Warner Music Group Corp. (NYSE: WMG) announced today the expansion
of its Nashville-based operations with the formation of Warner Music
Nashville. This new division of WMG's U.S. recorded music business
will include Warner Bros. Nashville and Word Entertainment, as well
as the re-launched Atlantic Nashville label.
The division will be led by music industry veteran, John Esposito,
who has served since 2002 as President, and then President and Chief
Executive Officer of WMG's sales and marketing division, WEA Corp.
Effective immediately, Esposito will assume the newly created position
of President, Warner Music Nashville and will be based in Nashville.
Mike Jbara, WEA's EVP and Chief Operating Officer, has been promoted
to President and CEO of WEA Corp., succeeding Esposito. The new
organizational structure alters the management responsibilities for
the company's Nashville operations. As a result, Bill Bennett, EVP
and General Manager of Warner Bros. Nashville, will leave the company
to pursue new opportunities. During his tenure, Bennett was
instrumental in numerous successes at Warner Bros. Nashville,
including multi-Platinum artists Big & Rich and Blake Shelton, as
well as emerging stars The Wreckers, Gloriana and James Otto, among
many others. Mark Bright will continue to lead Word Entertainment as
President and CEO.
In making the announcement, Lyor Cohen, WMG's Vice Chairman and
Chairman and CEO, Recorded Music - Americas and the UK, said,
"Nashville is a critical music community, both creatively and
economically. Warner Bros. Records Nashville under the leadership of
Bill Bennett has done an excellent job representing WMG in this
vibrant music capital. With the creation of Warner Music Nashville,
we will build upon the outstanding work of Bill and his team and
create even more A&R, marketing and promotional firepower. Under the
proven leadership of John Esposito, one of the industry's most
successful executives with an incredible track record on both the
creative and business sides, I'm confident this new division will
become the preeminent home for Nashville recording artists."
"I am very proud of the work we've accomplished over the years,
especially the fantastic success we've seen from our multi-Platinum
artists such as Faith Hill, Michelle Branch, and Big & Rich, as well
as the outstanding results we are seeing from developing artists such
as Gloriana, James Otto and Word's Francesca Battistelli," said
Warner Bros. Records' Chairman and CEO, Tom Whalley. "To now be given
an even greater mandate from WMG and the dedicated efforts of a
talented executive such as Espo is a terrific opportunity for our
team in Nashville to focus on expanding WMG's presence in the Country
and Christian genres. Bill is a terrific executive who's leaving at
the top of his game and I want to personally thank him for his
excellent work leading Warner Bros. Nashville to its best performance
in many years."
Atlantic Records' Chairman and CEO, Craig Kallman said, "The past
year has seen Atlantic Records return to the country world for the
first time in nearly a decade. We're back because we have been truly
inspired by a new generation of artists who came to us with music we
loved, and who we simply had to have on the label. The phenomenal
success of the Zac Brown Band has proved that our instincts and our
timing were right and, along with upcoming artists like Jesse Lee and
the Invite, they are taking us down the country path again. So we're
thrilled that our friend Espo is heading south to lead the Warner
Music country charge. He's not only a brilliant executive and a great
guy, but above all he's a passionate, genuine fan whose career has
been driven by a true love for the music."
Esposito said, "This is a dream come true for me. I have long been
involved with and have loved the artistry, creativity and wonderful
vibe of Nashville. I look forward to enhancing Warner Music's
business there by building upon Warner Bros.' and Word's great
accomplishments while also working to establish Atlantic as a
powerful and artist-friendly destination in the Nashville community."
As President and CEO of WEA, Esposito was responsible for WEA Corp.'s
sales, distribution and marketing activities as well as the global
management and distribution of WMG's digital assets. In addition,
Esposito was responsible for the Digital Sales and Marketing group,
which manages the mobile and online business for WMG's U.S. labels.
Esposito also oversaw WMG's Alternative Distribution Alliance (ADA),
the music industry's leading distributor of independent record labels,
and Independent Label Group (ILG), WMG's family of independent labels.
He also leads WMG's environmental campaign, WMGreen, for which he was
awarded the Natural Resources Defense Council's (NRDC) "Forces for
Nature" honor in 2006 for his leadership on environmental issues.
Esposito joined WMG from The Island Def Jam Music Group (IDJ) where,
as General Manager/Executive Vice President, he managed the company's
day-to-day operational activities. Esposito was one of the original
architects of IDJ and helped lead it to become one of the industry's
leading record companies.
Prior to IDJ, Esposito held a variety of executive positions at
PolyGram, Inc. Before joining PolyGram, from 1993 to 1994, he was the
chief operating officer of music and movies at The Wiz retail chain.
From 1986 to 1993, Esposito was Regional Vice President of Mitsubishi
Electronics America, where he managed the sales and operations staff.
In addition to his work with WMGreen, Esposito is a Founding and
Steering Committee Member of NRDC's Global Leadership Council, a
committee of approximately 42 members dedicated to making their
respective companies and industries more environmentally friendly. He
also serves on the Board of Directors for the TJ Martell Foundation,
one of the world's leading funders of innovative, early stage cancer
and AIDS research. He is also on the Board of Directors of
LiveConnections, a non-profit agency dedicated to music, education
and support for artists.
About Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group became the only stand-alone music company to be
publicly traded in the United States in May 2005. With its broad
roster of new stars and legendary artists, Warner Music Group is home
to a collection of the best-known record labels in the music industry
including Asylum, Atlantic, Bad Boy, Cordless, East West, Elektra,
Nonesuch, Reprise, Rhino, Roadrunner, Rykodisc, Sire, Warner Bros.
and Word. Warner Music International, a leading company in national
and international repertoire, operates through numerous international
affiliates and licensees in more than 50 countries. Warner Music
Group also includes Warner/Chappell Music, one of the world's leading
music publishers, with a catalog of more than one million copyrights
worldwide.
Contact:
Will Tanous
(212) 275-2244
Email Contact
Amanda Collins
(212) 275-2213
Email Contact
SOURCE: Warner Music Group
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