Big Machine Label Group Promotes Mike Rittberg to COO, Clay Hunnicutt to EVP of Label Operations

Big Machine Label Group has promoted two executives, with Mike Rittberg rising to COO and Clay Hunnicutt rising to executive vp of label operations. Both are already in their new roles and report to Big Machine Label Group president of label operations Andrew Kautz.

Rittberg most recently served as Big Machine’s executive vp of label operations, overseeing marketing, streaming and all release initiatives across the label group’s core imprints: Big Machine Records, BMLG Records, The Valory Music Co. and Big Machine John Varvatos Records.

Hunnicutt most recently served as GM for the Big Machine Records imprint, which features artists including Tim McGraw, Carly Pearce, Midland and Jackson Dean. In his new role, Hunnicutt will concentrate on business development, growing the entire label group’s ventures, fostering partnerships and focusing on catalog initiatives, which are critical to company objectives.

“Mike is the consummate professional. He is a mega self-starter, always pushing the boundaries and always seeking solutions. He has become incredibly important to the operations of BMLG and is a great co-pilot for our continued growth,” Big Machine Label Group chairman/CEO Scott Borchetta said in a statement. “Clay has done an exceptional job at elevating the growth and artist development for the Big Machine Records imprint.  In his new role, he’s able to take his insights and energies to all of our imprints during this extremely exciting time in our industry.”

“Scott and I have all the confidence in Mike’s strengths to take on a broader role with the BMLG and HYBE America’s Label services initiatives,” added Kautz in a statement. “We’ve seen Clay’s successes with Big Machine Records imprint and know he will flourish as he takes on a broader role and help us achieve our growth goals for 2024 and beyond.”