{"id":212105,"date":"2024-09-24T15:44:20","date_gmt":"2024-09-24T14:44:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.musicbusinessworldwide.com\/?p=212105"},"modified":"2024-09-24T16:21:43","modified_gmt":"2024-09-24T15:21:43","slug":"all-change-again-in-nashville-as-gregg-nadel-joins-cris-lacy-as-co-chair-co-president-of-warner-music-nashville-ben-kline-to-step-down-after-a-decade-with-the-company","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.musicbusinessworldwide.com\/all-change-again-in-nashville-as-gregg-nadel-joins-cris-lacy-as-co-chair-co-president-of-warner-music-nashville-ben-kline-to-step-down-after-a-decade-with-the-company\/","title":{"rendered":"All change (again) in Nashville:\u00a0Gregg Nadel joins Cris Lacy as Co-Chair &amp;\u00a0Co-President of Warner Music Nashville; Ben Kline to step down after a decade with the company"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Warner Music Group veteran Gregg Nadel, who most recently served as President of Elektra Entertainment, has been appointed Co-Chair &amp; Co-President of Warner Music Nashville.<\/p>\n<p>He will work alongside <strong>Cris Lacy<\/strong>, who has been co-head of <strong>WMN<\/strong> for the past two years and marks her 20th anniversary with the company next year.<\/p>\n<p>Nadel succeeds <strong>Ben Kline<\/strong>, who has decided to step down after a decade with the company. (<strong>Ben Kline<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<strong>Cris Lacy<\/strong><a class=\"link-internal\" href=\"https:\/\/www.musicbusinessworldwide.com\/ben-kline-and-cris-lacy-named-co-presidents-of-warner-music-nashville-as-john-esposito-transitions-to-chairman-emeritus-role\/\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.musicbusinessworldwide.com\/ben-kline-and-cris-lacy-named-co-presidents-of-warner-music-nashville-as-john-esposito-transitions-to-chairman-emeritus-role\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726763926831000&amp;usg=AOvVaw01eO-w8tYnIfH7fS-rsTyF\">\u00a0succeeded<\/a>\u00a0 John \u201cEspo\u201d Esposito, who <a class=\"link-external\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/musicrow.com\/2023\/04\/just-in-john-esposito-ends-chairman-emeritus-embraces-retirement-happily\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/musicrow.com\/2023\/04\/just-in-john-esposito-ends-chairman-emeritus-embraces-retirement-happily&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726763926831000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3LcjHpbElUaz8E2hF-N7C1\">exited<\/a>\u00a0Warner Music Nashville in April last year after 14 years as the company\u2019s leader.)<\/p>\n<p>The latest leadership shakeup at Warner Music Nashville <a href=\"https:\/\/www.musicbusinessworldwide.com\/max-lousada-to-exit-elliot-grainge-named-atlantic-music-group-ceo-with-julie-greenwald-as-chairman\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">follows the recent move<\/a> to bring Warner Music Nashville under the Warner Records umbrella.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">      <div class=\"mb-advert__incontent\">      <div class=\"mb-advert mb-advert__tweeny hidden-xs hidden-ms hidden-sm\" data-loaded=\"no\" data-sizes=\"992 1200 1440\" data-name=\"628x90 Sponsor banner #5 (992+1200+1440)\" data-params=\"dfp_sponsor5_628\" id=\"dfp_sponsor5_628\"><\/div>      <div class=\"mb-advert mb-advert__banner mb-advert__banner--inline hidden-xs hidden-sm hidden-md hidden-lg\" data-loaded=\"no\" data-sizes=\"480\" data-name=\"468x60 Sponsor banner #5 (480)\" data-params=\"dfp_sponsor5_468\" id=\"dfp_sponsor5_468\"><\/div>      <div class=\"mb-advert mb-advert__mobile mb-advert__mobile--inline hidden-ms hidden-md hidden-lg\" data-loaded=\"no\" data-sizes=\"320 768\" data-name=\"300x50 Sponsor banner #5 (320+768)\" data-params=\"dfp_sponsor5_300\" id=\"dfp_sponsor5_300\"><\/div>      <\/div>      <\/p>\n<p>News of Ben Kline&#8217;s departure from \u2013 and Gregg Nadel&#8217;s appointment to \u2013 the co-leadership role at Warner Music Nashville also marks the latest change in the C-suite of major record companies in Nashville.<\/p>\n<p>Just last week, we learned that <strong>Randy Goodman<\/strong>, Chairman and CEO of Sony Music\u00a0Nashville, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.musicbusinessworldwide.com\/all-change-at-the-majors-in-nashville-as-sony-musics-randy-goodman-announces-hes-stepping-down\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">will retire<\/a> at the end of 2024 after more than 35 years in the music industry.<\/p>\n<p>Also, in April last year, <strong>Cindy Mabe<\/strong>\u00a0became Chair\/CEO of\u00a0<a class=\"link-relationship\" style=\"background: 0px 0px;color: unset !important;text-decoration: none;border-bottom: 1px dashed #ff7d00\" title=\"Companies &gt; Universal Music Group [3,709 articles]\" href=\"https:\/\/www.musicbusinessworldwide.com\/companies\/universal-music-group\/\">Universal Music Group<\/a>\u00a0Nashville, succeeding\u00a0<strong>Mike Dungan\u00a0<\/strong>who spent more than a decade at UMGN.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">      <div class=\"mb-advert__incontent\">      <div class=\"mb-advert mb-advert__spu\" data-loaded=\"no\" data-name=\"300x250 Sponsor MPU #1\" data-params=\"dfp_spu1\" id=\"dfp_spu1\"><\/div>      <\/div>      <\/p>\n<p>Based out of the Nashville office, Nadel and Lacy will report to Warner Records CEO &amp; Co-Chairman Aaron Bay-Schuck and COO &amp; Co-Chairman Tom Corson, who report direct to WMG CEO Robert Kyncl, effective October 1.<\/p>\n<p>Lacy, Nadel, and their team will continue to work with Nashville artists co-signed with Atlantic Music Group.<\/p>\n      <div class=\"mb-advert__incontent\">      <div class=\"mb-advert mb-advert__spu\" data-loaded=\"no\" data-name=\"300x250 Sponsor MPU #2\" data-params=\"dfp_spu2\" id=\"dfp_spu2\"><\/div>      <\/div>      \n<p>Over the course of his nearly three-decade career, Warner notes that Nadel has &#8220;signed and\/or championed&#8221; country and roots-based artists as<strong> Zac Brown Band, Brandi Carlile, The Highwomen, Sturgill Simpson, Bailey Zimmerman, <\/strong>and<strong> Brittney Spencer<\/strong>, among many other artists across multiple genres.<\/p>\n<p>Prior to being named President of Elektra Entertainment in 2017, Nadel served as General Manager of Elektra Records and, before that, was SVP, A&amp;R and Marketing for Atlantic Records.<\/p>\n<p>A 27-year veteran of WMG, Nadel joined Atlantic straight out of college in 1997. In his marketing capacity, he has spearheaded high-profile campaigns for global superstars such as Ed Sheeran, who he\u2019s worked with since the early days of Sheeran&#8217;s career.<\/p>\n<p>Nadel has been named to Billboard\u2019s Power 100 list multiple times, and, this year, was honored by the publication as a Country Power Player.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cGregg grew up at WMG, and over the past three decades, he\u2019s brought his impeccable taste, wisdom, and guidance to an exceptional array of original, powerful voices.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000\">Aaron Bay-Schuck and Tom Corson<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Bay-Schuck and Corson said: \u201cGregg grew up at WMG, and over the past three decades, he\u2019s brought his impeccable taste, wisdom, and guidance to an exceptional array of original, powerful voices.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;He\u2019s an ambidextrous A&amp;R and marketing expert with a global perspective, which will be a tremendous asset at a time when Nashville artists are crossing boundaries and reaching the world stage like never before. Like Gregg, Cris has expanded from her roots as an A&amp;R force into a true multi-dimensional leader, and together, they\u2019ll be a phenomenal team to take Warner Music Nashville into a dynamic future.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cWe\u2019d also like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Ben Kline. He leaves with our deepest admiration and best wishes for his next chapter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000\">Aaron Bay-Schuck and Tom Corson<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Bay-Schuck and Corson added: \u201cWe\u2019d also like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Ben Kline. Over his past decade with WMN, his tireless passion for the label\u2019s artists and team has set the company up for continued, expanding success. He leaves with our deepest admiration and best wishes for his next chapter.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cI\u2019ve had the honor of working with incredibly talented artists across many sounds and styles, and through it all, I\u2019ve always felt a deep connection to the heartfelt music that comes from Nashville\u2019s rich creative culture.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000\">Greg Nadel\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Nadel commented: \u201cI\u2019ve had the honor of working with incredibly talented artists across many sounds and styles, and through it all, I\u2019ve always felt a deep connection to the heartfelt music that comes from Nashville\u2019s rich creative culture.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I\u2019m excited to be diving deeper into this brilliant community of musicians and storytellers, and I\u2019m especially excited about working alongside Cris Lacy and the entire team. Thank you to Tom and Aaron for this incredible opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Gregg brings a unique, wide-ranging perspective to what will be a fantastic partnership.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000\">Cris Lacy\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Lacy noted: &#8220;Thanks to WMG\u2019s cross-label and cross-genre philosophy, Gregg and I have been collaborating within the company for over a decade. We&#8217;re both rooted in a deep love of the music that comes into and out of Nashville. Gregg brings a unique, wide-ranging perspective to what will be a fantastic partnership.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;He has long invested in the culture and the community of this town, and together, we are fiercely committed to amplifying what makes its music so special. My heartfelt thanks and admiration go out to Ben. It\u2019s been a great ride, and his expertise, leadership, and friendship have made it all the more gratifying. I wish him the very best in all things to come.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cTogether, we\u2019ve grown Warner Music Nashville to new heights and played vital roles in the development of so many artists. Thanks to WMG leadership for all of the opportunities, faith, and guidance along the way.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000\">Ben Kline<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Kline added: \u201cTogether, we\u2019ve grown Warner Music Nashville to new heights and played vital roles in the development of so many artists. Thanks to WMG leadership for all of the opportunities, faith, and guidance along the way.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;And thank you to Cris Lacy for her never-wavering support for the artists and their musical visions. I\u2019m excited for the next adventure.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Elsewhere at Warner Music Group, yesterday (September 23), the company\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.musicbusinessworldwide.com\/revealed-atlantic-music-groups-new-leadership-structure-under-incoming-ceo-elliot-grainge\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">unveiled<\/a> Atlantic Music Group\u2019s (AMG) new leadership team and broader company structure under incoming AMG CEO <a class=\"link-relationship\" style=\"background: 0px 0px;color: unset !important;text-decoration: none;border-bottom: 1px dashed #ff7d00\" title=\"People &gt; Elliot Grainge [36 articles]\" href=\"https:\/\/www.musicbusinessworldwide.com\/people\/elliot-grainge\/\">Elliot Grainge<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Grainge<\/strong>\u00a0assumes the CEO role starting October 1, following the departure of\u00a0<a class=\"link-internal\" href=\"https:\/\/www.musicbusinessworldwide.com\/julie-greenwald-to-exit-atlantic-music-group-in-january\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Julie Greenwald<\/a>\u00a0(Chairman, Atlantic Music Group) later this month.<\/p>\n<p>Warner said in a press release yesterday that Atlantic Music Group will \u201ccombine the strengths of key functions\u201d at AMG labels <a class=\"link-relationship\" style=\"background: 0px 0px;color: unset !important;text-decoration: none;border-bottom: 1px dashed #ff7d00\" title=\"Companies &gt; Atlantic Records [668 articles]\" href=\"https:\/\/www.musicbusinessworldwide.com\/companies\/access-industries\/warner-music-group\/atlantic-records\/\">Atlantic Records<\/a>, 300, and\u00a0<a class=\"link-relationship\" style=\"background: 0px 0px;color: unset !important;text-decoration: none;border-bottom: 1px dashed #ff7d00\" title=\"Companies &gt; Elektra Music Group [139 articles]\" href=\"https:\/\/www.musicbusinessworldwide.com\/companies\/access-industries\/warner-music-group\/elektra-music-group\/\">Elektra<\/a>, to create \u201cone central set of artist development services\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Leadership shakeup at Warner Music Nashville follows the recent move to bring the company under the Warner Records umbrella<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":212111,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[306],"class_list":["post-212105","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-warner-music"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.musicbusinessworldwide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212105","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.musicbusinessworldwide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.musicbusinessworldwide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.musicbusinessworldwide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.musicbusinessworldwide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=212105"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.musicbusinessworldwide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212105\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.musicbusinessworldwide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/212111"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.musicbusinessworldwide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=212105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.musicbusinessworldwide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=212105"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.musicbusinessworldwide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=212105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}