Universal Music Group , the world’s leading music company, named Michele Anthony, one of the music industry’s most experienced and accomplished executives, to the newly created role of Executive Vice President, U. S. Recorded Music, effective November 1, 2013.
Reporting to UMG Chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge, Anthony will also work closely with UMG Executive Vice President and CFO Boyd Muir, as well as the U. S. recorded music management teams in maximizing commercial and strategic opportunities across labels, establishing new revenue streams, forming alliances with third parties and overseeing a variety of the company’s special projects.
In making the announcement, Grainge said, “There are scarce executives in music with the depth of Michele’s experience on both the label and artist sides of the industry. Michele’s versatility and creative approach to business will make her a valuable addition to our management team. “Anthony said, “Over the past several years, Lucian Grainge has transformed Universal Music into the industry’s most progressive music company.
I’m excited to be a part of the forward-thinking executive team Lucian has put into place, and I look forward to helping UMG lead the music industry’s reinvention, working along side the extraordinary artists, employees and entrepreneurs that make up today’s UMG.
“Most recently, Anthony founded 7H Entertainment, a consulting and management firm whose clients have included Pearl Jam, Black Sabbath & Ozzy Osbourne, Prince, Bjork and Soundgarden. Prior to forming 7H in 2006, Anthony was President and Chief Operating Officer of the Sony Music Label Group U.S. where she oversaw the day-to-day management and operations of the company’s labels. In this capacity, Anthony oversaw all key divisions, formed a wide variety of strategic alliances and facilitated the signing of numerous important artists.
Anthony also served as Sony Music Entertainment’s liaison to other Sony divisions and companies, including Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Electronics. Prior to that, she served as Executive Vice President, and joined Sony Music in 1990 as Senior Vice President, where she established and managed the company’s regional A&R offices in addition to overseeing special projects and new business opportunities.
Prior to Sony Music, Anthony was a partner in the entertainment law firm of Manatt, Phelps, Rothenberg & Phillips, where her clients included Guns N’ Roses, Alice In Chains, Ozzy Osbourne, Soundgarden, Rick Rubin, Sub Pop Records, The Sugarcubes and The Pixies.
Anthony currently chairs the Global Poverty Project (GPP) – Global Citizen Tickets Initiative, a campaign whereby major artists donate concert tickets that are earned when users take specified actions to end global poverty. She also is an advisor for GPP’s Annual Central Park Global Citizen Festival. She has served on the boards of the Recording Industry Association of America; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation (Executive Board Member); Rock The Vote (Executive Board Member); and the National Center For Missing and Exploited Children.