It's time to drop the needle on the latest Executive Turntable, Billboard's comprehensive(ish) rundown of promotions, hires, departures and firings — and everything in between — across music.
Read on for mostly good news and check out too Bulletin boardthe annual list of the highest-paid music executives, plus our weekly interview series spotlighting a single executive, the helpful calendar of notable events, and have you ever wanted to see tchotchkes inside an executive's office while reading their in-depth answers to the most important questions facing the biz? From Desk Of is probably your jam.
Sphere Entertainment announced his retirement David Burnsexecutive vice president, financial director and treasurer of the company. Byrnes will remain in his role during a transition period while the company searches for a new chief financial officer. The New York-based media executive has been Sphere's finance chief since January this year and held the same position at MSG Entertainment prior to that. During his tenure at Sphere and MSG, he played a key role in major transactions, including the spin-off of MSG Entertainment, the sale of a majority interest in Tao Group Hospitality, and two stock offerings. Byrnes joined MSG after a nearly 14-year run in senior roles at CBS (and later ViacomCBS), rising to executive vice president of corporate finance and then leaving ahead of the company's name change to Paramount Global in early 2022. Byrnes has not announced the next move.
Sphere Entertainment, which opened its spectacular Las Vegas venue in September 2023 with U2's residency, has since hosted artists including Phish, Dead & Company and current residents the Eagles (they play tonight and tomorrow) and shows multimedia like Darren Aronofsky's Postcard from Earth. During the fiscal year ended June 30, Sphere reported revenue of $273.4 million and full-year revenue of $1.03 billion, nearly double the $573.8 million a year earlier.
Meantime…
BMG determined Melanie McAllister as Global Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO), effective November 1. Reporting to CEO Thomas Coesfeld, he will join the executive board and oversee key HR functions across 20 offices, including recruiting, performance, development, DE&I and aligning HR strategies with primary business objectives. McAllister brings extensive experience from her previous roles as Chief People Officer at EasyPark Group and Megaport and nearly a decade as Chief HR Officer at Arvato. He has also held senior HR positions at Oracle and other global technology companies and holds an MA in Strategic HR from Liverpool JM University and serves on the board of the ENABLE Trust. Coesfeld expressed excitement about McAllister's role in shaping the future of BMG, adding that “Her expertise, vision and proven track record of combining innovative thinking with people excellence will have a transformative impact on our company.”
Johnny Pinchard was promoted to head of A&R at Trust the UKmoving on from his role as senior A&R director. Reporting to Malena Wolfer and Panos Polymatidis, he will continue to work from the London office. Since joining Believe from RCA Records in 2021, Pinchard has signed notable artists such as Sea Girls, who reached No.4 in the UK Albums Chart, and rapper Blanco, who has racked up over 140 million streams in less than a year. He also signed Grammy-nominated electronic artist HAYLA, who won Female Vocalist of the Year at the EDMA's 2024. Pinchard is committed to developing new talent, including Sainte, Leon Vynehall, Grace Davies and Sevdaliza. Believe UK CEO Alex Kennedy praised Pinchard as “absolutely vital to identifying, signing and developing a wide range of artists who have been a cornerstone of our success and who fit the Believe ethos perfectly”.
Jessica Vaughan
Radio determined Jessica Vaughan as vp creative sync sales, a new role at the audio company. Vaughn will lead efforts to expand Raedio's music library and sync services, with the goal of providing “Audio Everywhere.” Her responsibilities also include developing growth strategies for Raedio's unique music library and working with industry partners to secure music placements in film, television, advertising and gaming. Outside of her day job, Vaughn is a veteran singer-songwriter who gained attention in recent years as Charlotte Some, releasing her debut album on Geffen and appearing on the second season of The Voice. He now performs and records under the name LACES. In 2023, Vaughn wrote a guest column for Bulletin board supporting more creatives joining the executive ranks across the industry.
Musical canvas embedded former managing director of Spotify UK & Ireland Tom Connaughton as a partner and senior advisor to the independent boutique distributor. Connaughton joins to support Canvas Music's mission to offer artist-centric, indie label distribution services. Canvas was launched in 2020 by Richard Lyne, who said the company's aim is to “provide a great service with a great product but with more focus and less volume”. Connaughton expressed enthusiasm for the turnout and highlighted Canvas' potential to bridge the gap between artists, technology and the public in a “fair, artist-centric way.” Connaughton was launched at Spotify in late 2023 after five years at the helm of the streaming giant. Prior to Spotify, he served in various roles at Vevo.
Unexpressed files determined Sage Ressler as head of synchronization, with immediate effect. Ressler previously worked at Spirit Music Group, where she negotiated licensing deals and secured placements in a variety of media formats. At Ineffable, he will collaborate with marquee artists in the reggae, indie and Caribbean music scene, including Sean Paul, Stick Figure, Collie Buddz, Govana, Protoje and Bob Marley: One Love star, Hector “Roots” Lewis. Ressler will lead the company's first official syndication division, which will focus on securing high-profile placements for the label's catalog in film, television, commercials, gaming and more. “The opportunity to help shape and lead the sync department is a natural next step for both me and the company,” said Ressler. “Synch has become a uniquely powerful storytelling tool and is opening doors for artists in ways we've never seen before.” –Kyle Dennis
NASHVILLE NOTES: Opry Entertainment Group are promoted Jordan Pettit to vp of artist relations and Jen Tressler to director of artist and industry relations. Pettit, who joined OEG in 2018 and has been instrumental in initiatives such as Opry NextStage, will lead OEG's artist relations team, developing programs to strengthen artist-fan connections. Tressler has built strong industry relationships since joining OEG in 2020 and will continue to focus on creative artist engagement strategies, specifically for the Grand Ole Opry… Rachel Derosia has been promoted to senior vice president of comedy at Outback presents. He will work with co-CEO Brian Dorfman and co-svp Joel Bachkoff to expand the division. The Rochester, New York native began her professional career in music working at Sony Music before transitioning to comedy at Zanies Comedy Club, later joining Outback Presents as a moderator. He has managed and created many tours, helping comedians transition from club shows to theater level… Chandler Thurston joined Position musicA&R team as the first hire for their new Nashville office. Previously, he was senior creative director at Anthem Entertainment, managing talent like Jamie Paulin and Meghan Patrick and overseeing hits like Florida Georgia Line's “Talk You Out of It.” Prior to Anthem, Thurston worked at Major Bob Music, where he helped sign and develop writers such as Alysa Vanderheym. He will be based in Position Music's Nashville office, which will open in the third quarter of 2025.
Jaime Kelsall joined Paladin Artistseffective immediately, reuniting with former APA and The Agency Group colleagues. Based in Los Angeles, Kelsall brings over 20 years of experience, having represented clients such as Dionne Warwick, Fitz and the Tantrums, ZZ Ward and Michelle Branch. She began her career as an intern at the House of Blues in New Orleans, later working at Absolute Artists Agency in San Francisco, where she met Paladin partner Bruce Solar. Kelsall then joined The Agency Group in Los Angeles before spending over 20 years at APA. “We are all excited to have the talented Jaime Kelsall join our team at Paladin,” said Solar. “We are excited to have her continue her journey with us that began so long ago and bring her expertise and professionalism to our company.”
ALL IN THE FAMILY: Fairchild Media Groupa division of Bulletin board parent Penske Media Corporation, promoted Jim Fallon to content manager for WWD and FMG. Fallon, with 45 years of industry experience, will oversee editorial and content creation for FMG's brands, including WWD, Beauty Inc, Sourcing Journal and Footwear News. Reporting to CEO Amanda Smith, Fallon will focus on strengthening the brand's position, expanding the audience, fostering collaboration and developing new editorial products. Fallon previously served as editorial director of Fairchild Fashion Media and held leadership roles at Fairchild Publications, including editor of WWD.
ICYMI:
Eric Wong
