Sujata Murthy is promoted to executive VP of media & artist relations at Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), the global catalog division of Universal Music Group, with immediate effect.
Based in UMe’s Santa Monica offices, Murthy continues to be responsible for the music company’s media department, oversees press strategy and campaigns, and works closely with artists, managers and estates across UMG’s roster.
Going forward, she’ll be an “integral part in expanding UMe’s corporate and executive initiatives,” reads a company statement.
Murthy is “an invaluable member of my executive team and she is someone who has earned the respect of our artists and their management teams,” comments Bruce Resnikoff, president & CEO, UMe, to whom she reports.
During her time at the company, Murthy “has also built one of the best media teams in the industry and she continues to play an important role in developing and executing UMe’s successful release strategies for our artists,” he adds.
Murthy, a native of Chennai, India, cut her teeth in the music industry at Capitol Records, working with acts across the former EMI label’s roster, from Radiohead to Skinny Puppy and more.
She transitioned to become the primary publicist for artists reissuing classic albums on CD for the very first time, from Frank Sinatra to Peggy Lee, and Dean Martin.
Her work has been recognized broadly in the business community, with Murthy named to Korn Ferry’s “Most Influential South Asian Women Executives in Media and Entertainment,” Business Insider’s “The 20 Most Powerful Indians in Hollywood” by the Business Insider, and earning the Women’s International Music Network’s Visionary Award, among other accolades.
UMe finished 2021 with a “record-high catalog market share for the sixth consecutive year,” Resnikoff told Billboard on his induction into the 2022 Power List.
