Warner Music Japan President and CEO Kaz Kobayashi to Step Down

Kaz Kobayashi is stepping down as president and CEO of Warner Music Japan after a decade in the role, the company announced on Wednesday (Sept. 18). His successor will be announced soon, and he is currently working with Dr. Kenji Kitatani, the newly appointed chairman of Warner Music Japan, on a transition plan.

Kobayashi, who took over in 2014 after a lengthy run at Sony, has played a key role in the success of artists like Aimyon, THE YELLOW MONKEY, TWICE, MISAMO, and ONE OK ROCK. He has long championed an artist-first approach and under his leadership, Warner Music Japan has become a leading digital-first music label in the country, the second largest music market in the world after the U.S.

“Not only did he deliver outstanding results for artists as a business executive, but he also earned great respect for building deep trust and fostering friendships with them,” said Simon Robson, president of international recorded music. “He has led the company’s evolution in Japan, a highly important and distinctive music market.”

Kobayashi joined Warner from Sony Music Entertainment Japan, where he worked as a corporate executive overseeing music TV assets, live venues and ticketing while also serving as president of Epic Records Japan, DefSTAR Records and Ariola Japan. He began his music industry career at Epic Japan in the A&R department.

“I am truly grateful and feel honored to have been involved in the lives of many great artists, including Tatsuro Yamashita and Mariya Takeuchi,” Kobayashi said. “But all good things come to an end and I’ve decided it’s the right moment for me to move on.”

The leadership transition at WMJ comes amid other high-level changes at Warner, including this week’s announcement that Kevin Liles would be departing as CEO of 300 Entertainment and the recent exits of WMG’s CEO of recorded music Max Lousada and longtime Atlantic leader Julie Greenwald.