No billionaires bickering here — just your regularly scheduled edition of Executive Turntable, Billboard‘s weekly roundup of promotions, hires, exits and everything in between across the music industry. Let’s get to it…
Veteran touring executive Leslie Cohea will join WME’s Nashville office in mid-July as a partner and music touring executive. She comes to the agency after 10 years at Sandbox Entertainment, where she served as global head of touring and played a key role in guiding the careers of artists including Kacey Musgraves, Dan + Shay, Kelsea Ballerini, Midland and Little Big Town. Before playing in the Sandbox, Cohea spent nearly a decade at AEG Live/The Messina Group, focusing on touring and concert promo and producing national tours for biggies like Ed Sheeran, Dave Matthews and Eagles. Named a Billboard executive of the week in 2023, Cohea will report to WME co-heads Becky Gardenhire, Joey Lee and Jay Williams.
iHeartMedia announced that Scott Hamilton shifted from his role as principal accounting officer to a consulting position, effective June 2. Subsequently, Michael McGuinness, the deputy CFO since 2019, was appointed as the new accounting chief. Hamilton has served in senior accounting roles at iHeartMedia since 2010 and previously held leadership positions at Avaya and PwC. McGuinness joined iHeartMedia in 2019 and brings prior experience from The Hain Celestial Group and Monster Worldwide. In its SEC filing regarding the change, iHeart emphasized that Hamilton’s transition is not due to any dispute with the company, including issues related to accounting practices or financial reporting.
Big Loud Records appointed Lauren “LT” Thomas as senior vp of radio promotion. Thomas joins Big Loud’s fellow svp of radio promo Tyler Waugh, with both execs reporting to evp of radio promotion Stacy Blythe. Thomas previously served as svp of promotion at Sony Music Nashville, where she led promotion efforts for RCA Nashville and Columbia. Prior to her role at Sony, Thomas worked for five years at Phoenix country music station KMLE-FM. –Jessica Nicholson
Melanie Johnson is PPL’s first-ever director of transformation, a role created to lead a company-wide innovation initiative aimed at expanding PPL into the global leader in neighbouring rights royalty collections. Reporting to CEO Peter Leathem, Johnson will leverage her extensive experience across publishing, labels, DSPs and tech — including roles at Audoo, Utopia Music, Facebook and Sony/EMI — to enhance royalty distribution through amped-up technology and data systems. Her appointment comes as PPL reports over $375 million in collections for 2024. Johnson also serves as vice chair of Music Minds Matter and has been a trustee for the Ivors Academy Trust. Leathem said Johnson’s “commercial thinking, paired with deep industry knowledge” will be a great asset to the UK collective management organization.
Oak View Group welcomed Donna Freislinger Huffman as svp of global procurement. Reporting to CFO Ade Patton and president of premium experiences Josh Pell, Huffman will lead initiatives to streamline procurement, boost cost efficiency across OVG’s global footprint. Her responsibilities also include advancing supplier diversity and sustainability. Huffman brings over 20 years of experience from roles at United Airlines, Vanderbilt University and Hillrom, with a “track record for transforming sourcing organizations and driving enterprise-wide value,” said Patton.
Riser House Entertainment expanded its team with three key hires at the Nashville-based label and publisher. Alex Heimerman joins as vp of streaming and strategic partnerships, bringing experience from UMG Nashville, Red Light Management and The Trenches. Hayley Irvine becomes product manager, overseeing project execution after roles at BMG/Broken Bow Records. Eliza Charette steps in as project and label relations coordinator, supporting artist campaigns and operations, with priors at Madison Square Garden and Big Loud. All three report to Riser House president Jennifer Johnson and label manager Megan Schultz. “At Riser House, we don’t just chase trends — we build legacies,” said Johnson. “As our roster grows with some of the most authentic artists in music, it’s only fitting that our team grows too.”
NASHVILLE NOTES: Marketing agency Results Global launched a new four-person digital and social media division, led by Katrina Maddox, formerly head of digital at The HQ. Joining her are Lindsey Parrish, previously a marketing manager at MV2, and Tess Schoonhoven, who served as social media manager at Venture Music. Rounding out the team is Conner McEuen, appointed as paid media manager after his role as a paid social strategist at Zero Gravity Marketing … Bobbii Jacobs launched Wildflower Entertainment Group, a multifaceted company specializing in artist management, development, brand partnerships and talent booking. Alongside it, she introduced a sister venture, Backstage Access Presents, which focuses on curating VIP fan experiences. Jacobs brings extensive experience to the new ventures, having most recently served as partner and president at Forefront Networks.
IMAGINE, a Berlin-based creative studio specializing in music-driven storytelling, opened a new office in Paris as part of its European expansion. Marie Gleiss has been appointed head of expansion, and Maxence Janvrin joins as business development manager, both bringing deep ties to the City of Lights’s cultural scene. The duo will help advance IMAGINE’s mission of building brand connections through music-first strategies. Co-founder Shai Caleb Hirschson emphasized that music has the ability to foster brand recall and drive more than just clicks. “We’re not here to slap a jingle on a logo,” he said. “We create sound-first strategies that move people, inspire loyalty, and generate long-term brand value.”
Betsie Becker is officially the executive director of Berklee NYC, following her interim leadership since September 2023. Over the past two years, she has been instrumental in growing the campus’s leadership team, enhancing academic programs, and deepening community partnerships. Her achievements include appointing Merrily James and Daniel Pembroke to key roles and strengthening collaborations with NYC Public Schools, Carnegie Hall’s B-Side program and the Fashion Institute of Technology. Becker joined Berklee in 2019 as assistant vp for global program development and co-led the institution’s COVID-19 response. Her previous leadership experience includes roles at Juilliard, Decoda and Ensemble Connect.
Top Drawer Merch, a Los Angeles-based full-service merchandise company, appointed Claudia Peña as director of live events. In this role, she will lead the creation of immersive, attendee-focused brand activations at festivals, tours, and pop-ups, merging storytelling with commerce. Peña, founder of festival beauty brand Lunautics, brings experience in luxury retail and experiential marketing. Her hire follows Top Drawer’s success with events like SLANDER and Insomniac’s Starbase Festival.
