The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) has solidified its 2021/22 board of directors and elected three to the executive committee, the organization tells Billboard.
On the executive committee — all three of whom were elected by the A2IM board — Partisan Records global managing director Zena White will serve as chairperson, Hopeless Records president Louis Posen will serve as secretary and Robbins Entertainment vp digital & product management Lisa Levy will serve as treasurer.
The organization has also brought on three new board members: Mariah Czap, co-general manager of Yep Roc; Victor Zaraya, COO of Concord; and Heather Johnson, CEO of Ninety9lives, who will move to the full A2IM board from the advisory board. Outgoing board members from the prior year are Laura Ballance, co-founder of Merge Records; Tony Kiewel, president of Sub Pop Records and current chair of the A2IM board; and Rosie Lopez, president of Tommy Boy and previous chair of the A2IM Board.
In a statement, White praised A2IM for being “at the forefront of the issues that matter most to the independent community, advocating for its members and striving for the betterment of the sector as a whole.” Posen added, “The music industry is in a critical juncture, and I believe A2IM’s efforts in advocacy, education, networking and member services are most important at this time.” In her own statement, Levy noted her creation and leadership of the A2IM Mentor Program and added that she looks forward “to diving deeper and contributing more to the inner workings of the board.”
“This year as every year, A2IM is grateful to have the guidance of such experienced senior music executives,” said A2IM CEO Richard James Burgess. “Especially as the music industry continues to move through a time full of challenges and unexpected pivots, we appreciate these leaders stepping forward to offer their perspective, their advice, and their time to help support independent music.”
A2IM’s 2021/22 board of directors:
Marie Clausen – Ninja Tune
Mariah Czap – Yep Roc
Steven Hill – Warp Records
Heather Johnson – Ninety9lives
Lisa Levy – Robbins Entertainment
Madeline Nelson – Heads Music
Martin Mills – Beggars Group
Louis Posen – Hopeless Records
Darius Van Arman – Secretly Group
Zena White – Partisan Records
Victor Zaraya – Concord
