Interscope Geffen A&M promotes Gary Kelly to Executive Vice President/Chief Revenue Officer, as announced today by Interscope Geffen A&M Chairman and CEO John Janick and Vice Chairman Steve Berman.
In his new role, Kelly will lead a team that’s comprised of the revenue, digital marketing, and production areas of Interscope Geffen A&M. The promotion marks the first time an executive has held the title of Chief Revenue Officer at a record company. By creating Kelly’s position and aligning three departments, Interscope Geffen A&M ensures its readiness for the future alongside its ability to maximize the changes in the industry and super-serve its artists.
Kelly’s team will also oversee all playlisting activities for IGA, including the newly created position of Director of Playlisting, which has been specifically created to meet the demands of the new paradigm in music streaming. It is an industry first to have marketing and playlisting ambassadors who work across digital music service providers, including Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, Google Play Music, Tidal, and Pandora.
Janick commented: “Gary sees both the challenges and opportunities that lie in a transitional period in the industry, and I’m happy to announce this much-deserved promotion.”
Added Berman: “Gary is at the forefront of the business both in terms of changing the way we approach releasing our music and understanding how the public consumes it.”
“When I was growing up in the industry, I always admired Interscope’s penchant for not only having the best talent from an artist standpoint, but also an executive standpoint,” Kelly says. “It was always a dream of mine to join this company. I could not be more thrilled to be part of the amazing team that John has assembled. He is building something for long-term success.”
A Cleveland native, Kelly began his career as a college marketing rep in the Sony Music system (Sony Music Distribution and Epic Records) in his hometown, and has worked in various marketing and sales positions in the New York, mid-Atlantic, and Los Angeles regions. He left Sony for a position at the Universal Music Group and joined Interscope in April 2010 as Head of Sales. He previously held the title of Head of Revenue & Digital. Kelly holds an MBA from the Marshall School of Business at USC.