Executive Turntable: UMG Nashville Names International Marketing VP; Bravado Expands Leadership

Ami Brown was named vp of international marketing at Universal Music Group Nashville. She joins after several years spent on Universal Music Group’s global marketing team, where she last served as senior director of partner and label relations. She will now spearhead international strategy, creative connection and outreach for all artists on the label group, which encompasses Capitol Records Nashville, EMI Records Nashville, MCA Nashville and Mercury Nashville. Brown can be reached at Ami.Brown@umusic.com.

Universal Music Group’s merchandise and brand management company, Bravado, appointed several new executives to leadership roles. They include Alyssa Tobias as vp/head of creative services; Bill Ashton as head of A&R; Keith Taperell as vp of global brand partnerships and energy marketing; and Kim Youngberg as head of legal. Tobias joins from Live Nation, Ashton joins from Songkick, Taperell was previously vp of sales & retail, U.K. at Bravado and Youngberg joins from The Davis Firm.

Milk & Honey Music + Sports hired Jeff Skaggs as head of Milk & Honey South, where he’ll report to GM Lucas Keller and partners Nic Warner and David Hodges. Skaggs will be responsible for signing talent and working closely with Milk & Honey’s songwriter and producer roster as well as the company’s offices in other cities, including Los Angeles and London. He joins from Creative Nation, where he served as vp of creative. Skaggs can be reached at Skaggs@milkhoneyla.com.

Sandeep Lodha, former CEO at Indian streaming service Gaana, has been hired at Condé Nast as managing director of India; he will assume the role in July. Lodha succeeds Alex Kuruvilla, who announced he would be stepping down earlier this year and transitioning to chairman emeritus. In his new role, Lodha will oversee every aspect of the Condé Nast business across all brands in India; he will be based out of the company’s Mumbai office.

CBC/Radio-Canada president/CEO Catherine Tait will remain in the role for an additional 18 months — until Jan. 3, 2025 — following the end of her first five-year term in the role as the government begins the process of searching for a permanent successor to lead the public broadcaster. “On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am delighted that our CEO has agreed to extend her time at CBC/Radio-Canada, in order to complete several important initiatives,” said Michael Goldbloom, chair of the CBC/Radio-Canada board of directors. “Her leadership over the past five years has been critical to positioning the public broadcaster for the future at a time of accelerated change in the news and media sectors in Canada.”

Lara Baker joined FUGA as GM, U.K., succeeding Liz Northeast, who recently moved to the role of senior vp, EMEA at the company. Baker joins from Songtrust, where she served as director of business development for the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. In her new role, she will oversee business development strategy and client relations in the U.K.

Secretly’s All Flower Group, which united Ghostly International and drink sum wtr under one roof, has added two new executives: Jeremy Daly as director of creative licensing and Yasmin Leung as European Union/United Kingdom label manager. Additionally, Jeff Owens was promoted from label director at Ghostly International to director of projects, North America at All Flowers Group. Additionally, Molly Smith was elevated from art director at Ghostly International to senior art director at All Flowers Group.

Red Bull Records added six to its team across the A&R, creative and marketing departments. They include Chris Goins as project director of marketing; Rachael Hardaway as director of digital marketing; Steph Jones as manager of global digital accounts; Chukwudi Obi as director of publishing creative, Cody Plumlee as senior project manager of creative; and Kelsi Ring as director of publicity and communications. Goins comes from Mass Appeal Records, Hardaway joins from Saban Music, Jones comes from Stem, Obi joins from Hallwood Media, Plumlee joins from Paramount+ and Ring joins from Monstercat.

Nexstar Media Group chairman/CEO Perry Sook was elected chairman of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) board of directors. He succeeds Salem Media Group CEO David Santrella. Elsewhere, Cumulus Media executive vp of strategy and development Collin Jones was elected radio board chair by the NAB radio board; Perry Publishing and Broadcasting Company president/COO Kevin Perry was elected first vice chair of the radio board; Zimmer Radio of Mid-Missouri president/owner John Zimmer was elected second vice chair of the radio board; and Beasley Media Group executive vp /general counsel Chris Ornelas was elected to the radio board’s major group representative seat on the NAB board executive committee. The elections, including those to the NAB’s television board, took place at the NAB board of directors meeting held June 6-7.

Joyce Sydnee Dollinger was named partner at music and entertainment law firm Alter, Kendrick & Baron. Dollinger advises artists, songwriters, music producers, musical estates and artist managers as well as companies on all areas of their businesses. She can be reached at joyce.dollinger@akbllp.com.

Distiller Music Group promoted Ian Carew to head of marketing and operations and Jessie Gunton to junior campaign manager. The U.K.-based independent music company also hired Becca Price as campaign manager and Louis Burdett Proctor as label and publishing assistant. Carew can be reached at Ian.Carew@distillermusic.com.

Revelator, a business solutions provider for the music business, announced several new hires and promotions. They include Rich Masio, who joins as vp of partnerships from Pandora; Golda Bitterli, promoted to vp of sales; Noah Roth, promoted to chief commercial officer; Miriam Lottner, brought aboard as vp of customer experience from her previous role at gaming startup XHUB; and Amram Ben-David, who was hired as vp of research and development.

Gregory Pryor was named managing partner at law firm Reed Smith, where he has served as co-chair of the entertainment and media industry group since 2015. Now a member of the firm’s senior management team, he succeeds structured finance partner Tamara Box.

Emilia Mikkola was appointed GM of ASM Global venue Kulttuuritalo in Helskinki, Finland, where the company was appointed to run operations last month. She most recently served as a production manager for Flow Festival for over a decade. Mikkola can be reached at emilia.mikkola@eu.asmglobal.com.

Musicians on Call, a nonprofit that brings live and recorded music to patients, families and caregivers in healthcare environments, announced several appointments to its national board of directors. They include American Hospital Association senior vp of communications Alicia Mitchell, Big Plan Holdings founder/CEO Josh Joseph, Riveredge Hospital CEO Allison Davenport and Lighthouse Counsel president Jeff Jowdy. The organization also appointed G7 Marketing senior vp Rick Whetsel as vice chair and re-elected Baker Sullivan Hoover as managing partner and Cathy Sullivan as treasurer.

BeatBread, the AI-driven funding platform for artists and labels, added Wendy Day to its artists advocacy council. Day is the founder of Rap Coalition and PowerMoves. The council meets regularly to offer feedback on new features planned for the beatBread platform.

AV technology company Solotech, whose client list includes the Isle of Wight Festival and the Reading & Leeds Festival, is opening a new business office in Frankfurt, Germany. The German team includes managing director, U.K. & Germany Bryce Jewell, senior consultant concert touring and special events Holger Schader, project manager Frank Simon and John Probyn, who serves as head of business development in Europe for the company’s live productions division.