Warner Chappell Music has added Canada to Ryan Press‘ bailiwick, promoting the veteran executive to president, North America. Press has led WCM’s efforts in the U.S. (excluding Nashville and Miami) since 2019, and will now drive overall strategy in both countries, reporting directly to CEO Guy Moot and COO Carianne Marshall.
Vivian Barclay, the managing director for Canada, will report directly to Press.
During his two years overseeing the U.S., Press and co. have kept busy with signings and deal extensions with the likes of Cardi B, Jhené Aiko, Saweetie, Anderson .Paak, Tones & I, Ari Lennox, Daniel Caesar and Travis Barker, among others. Joint ventures have been forged with LVRN, Murda Publishing, Numbers Don’t Lie, GenerationNOW and more.
In addition, Press has helped deliver hits for roster a-listers such as Rihanna, Post Malone, Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, Swae Lee and Beyoncé.
In announcing the promotion, Moot and Marshall laud Press as a “master connector and dealmaker” and an “exceptional leader and executive” at the company.
“He’s built a powerhouse U.S. A&R department and an award-winning roster, while becoming a highly regarded mentor to both our songwriters and our people,” they said. “Ryan’s also been an invaluable partner to us and instrumental in Warner Chappell’s transformation, and we’re very proud to have him broaden his scope to help guide our business in the U.S. and Canada.”
Press has been a part of the WCM family since 2009 and is a Five-Timers Club member on Billboard‘s R&B/Hip-Hop Power List (See 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021), and last year was named as a founding member of the advisory panel for the WMG/Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund, which supports charitable causes related to the music industry, social justice and education, as well as campaigns against violence and racism.
Prior to joining Warner, he founded Press Conference Management, an artist, songwriter, and producer management firm, and worked as a creative consultant at Notting Hill Music Publishing.
“I’ve been with Warner Chappell for more than 12 years now and taking on this new role is a huge challenge that I’ve been working towards since day one,” said Press. “I’m incredibly humbled and grateful to Guy and Carianne for the opportunity and wouldn’t be here without the support of my incredible A&R team. I’m blessed to get to work alongside them every single day. I also want to thank the inspiring leaders and mentors who prepared me personally to get to this moment and those who came before me and opened the doors for people who look like me to achieve our dreams.”
