Jim Roppo, chairman and CEO of Republic Records, has exited the company and is headed to Warner Records Group, multiple sources tell Billboard. At Warner Records, he’ll take on the role of vice chairman, overseeing operations across the group’s labels and reporting to chairman/CEO Aaron Bay-Schuck. His start date will be revealed at a later time.
A nearly 30-year veteran of Universal Music Group (UMG), the parent company of Republic Records, Roppo has held roles in sales, marketing and commerce at Island Def Jam Music Group (IDJ) and Republic before being promoted to the Republic executive team. In 2012, he moved from IDJ, where he eventually rose to senior vp of sales, to Republic. In 2018, he was promoted from head of marketing and commerce to executive vp/general manager at Republic, before being upped to co-president of the label in 2021. He then became president/COO of the reorganized REPUBLIC in 2024, before being named chairman/CEO of Republic Records.
Following the publication of Billboard‘s story, Warner confirmed the news of Roppo’s hire and provided additional context.
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During his time at UMG, Roppo was at the forefront of campaigns for Drake, The Weeknd, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Post Malone, James Bay, Julia Michaels, Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Rihanna and more. According to a 2018 press release about Roppo, the executive “proudly claims to have seen every iteration of the industry’s format evolution, kicking off his career at Los Angeles’s famed Aron’s Records during 1988 when vinyl gave way to CDs.”
“Everything we do is rooted in artist development, and Jim has spent his career ensuring that creatives have the tools, resources, and support to reach their full potential,” said Bay-Schuck in a statement. “Few have excelled across so many parts of our business — from digital to commerce to marketing — and that range, paired with a track record of breaking stars, will be invaluable as we accelerate the next phase of growth for Warner Records Group.”
Added Roppo, “I’m excited to join Warner Records at such an important moment, with undeniable momentum across the roster. My focus has always been on backing great music and helping teams win, and I look forward to bringing that to Warner. My biggest thanks to Aaron for this opportunity.”
News of Roppo’s new Warner Records gig comes after a shake-up in leadership at the Warner Music Group over the last few months. Warner Records COO Tom Corson, who also served as co-chairman, was promoted to Warner Music Group’s overall COO, succeeding Armin Zerza in the role. Additionally, WMG’s publishing arm, Warner Chappell, announced the exit of COO/co-chair Carianne Marshall in September. After seven years in her position, a company source told Billboard that Marshall’s departure was part of a WMG-wide shift away from having co-chairs lead their divisions.
UMG is also experiencing its own set of personnel changes. On Wednesday (Oct. 14), several top company executives exited the company as it completed its 2024 restructure plan. Among those affected were Ben Mortimer, president of Polydor Records in the U.K.; Tunji Balogun, chairman/CEO of Def Jam Recordings; Nicole Wyskoarko, president, head of urban a&r at Interscope Geffen A&M; and Sam Riback, co-president and head of pop/rock A&R at Interscope Geffen A&M. On Tuesday (Oct. 13), Rebecca Allen, UMG U.K.’s chief artist and strategy officer, announced in an internal memo that she was exiting the company after 27 years.
This story was updated at 2:16 p.m. ET on Oct. 14 to add further context about Roppo’s hire.
