Exceleration Music, the music investment fund formed by Glen Barros, Charles Caldas and other industry leaders, is accelerating its ambitions with several executive appointments.
Digital media veteran Darin Soler joins as head of global marketing & partnerships. Previously, Soler served in senior roles with Sony Music, Apple, and YouTube, most recently as head of catalog. At Exceleration, Soler will lead on driving awareness and engagement for the venture’s artists and labels, in addition to overseeing partnerships with key DSP and other commercial partners.
Also, Exceleration Music has recruited Donna Feeley as head of accounting and business administration; Andy Kman is named head of physical operations; and Larissa Woss joins as digital operations manager.
In her new role, Feeley is responsible for overseeing the company’s financial functions, including accounting and royalties, and she’s tasked with HR duties and administration.
Kman, an experienced executive with indie and major labels, oversees all practical aspects of Exceleration Music’s non-digital business activities, while Woss has duties for maintaining and executing all digital operations for the company, its labels and catalogs.
According to a statement, Woss will work within the team led by Britnee Foreman, Exceleration’s head of data strategy and digital operations.
The brainchild of former Concord Music Group CEO Glen Barros, Exceleration Music was unveiled earlier in the year with a mission to “invest in the future of independent labels and artists”.
Its foundation team is a who’s who of indie heavyweights, including Charles Caldas (former Merlin CEO), Dave Hansen (former General Manager of Epitaph Records and Executive Chairman of Merlin), Amy Dietz (previous GM of Ingrooves) and John Burk (former President of Concord Records).
Exceleration’s new recruits, says Hansen, “are all smart, skilled people who share our values about music, independent labels, and artists.”
Barros adds, “one of Exceleration’s founding principles is to put people first in all that we do. These new additions to the team clearly demonstrate this principle, as they are all amazing individuals in addition to being experts in their respective fields. We are so honored to have them join us on this exciting new journey.”
With “substantial investment capital” and an MO grounded in “integrity, fairness, openness, humility and excellence,” according to a press release issued in January, Exceleration aims to both support indie companies looking to grow or entrepreneurs seeking an “honorable exit” without betraying the values on which their companies had been founded and run.
