HYBE AMERICA, the US division of South Korea-headquartered entertainment company HYBE, has appointed Gene Whitney as its new General Counsel.<\/p>\n
According to the company, as General Counsel, Whitney will oversee HYBE AMERICA’s legal strategy in both North and South America, and “guide corporate governance across all business units, and support the company\u2019s continued growth in international markets”.<\/p>\n
Whitney is described by HYBE AMERICA as a seasoned executive with more than two decades at the intersection of music, technology and media.<\/p>\n
He has held senior positions at Riot Games, Amazon Music, Meta, SoundCloud, Vevo <\/strong>and Universal Music Group.<\/strong><\/p>\n Whitney will be based in Los Angeles and begin his role in early January.<\/p>\n His appointment marks the latest high-profile executive hire at HYBE AMERICA.<\/p>\n Just last week, it named veteran music\u00a0executive\u00a0Ethiopia Habtemariam<\/a>, known most recently for heading<\/span>\u00a0up Universal Music Group<\/strong>\u2019s\u00a0Motown Records<\/strong>, as its new President of Music.<\/strong><\/p>\n HYBE America has also recently appointed<\/a> veteran communications and marketing exec Johanna Fuentes<\/strong> to the newly created role of Executive Vice President and Head of Communications and Public Relations.<\/p>\n In September, Jenni<\/strong> Pfaff<\/strong> joined<\/a> HYBE AMERICA as Chief People and Transformation Officer.<\/p>\n Whitney joins HYBE AMERICA from Riot Games<\/strong>, where he most recently served as Global Head of Music Business Affairs and Label Operations.<\/p>\n There, he oversaw the company\u2019s global music strategy, licensing framework, and label operations across gaming, esports, and virtual entertainment.<\/p>\n In this role, according to the announcement on Monday (January 12), he helped “shape Riot\u2019s innovative approach to music within interactive environments and guided dealmaking across a rapidly evolving digital landscape”.<\/p>\n It added: “Throughout his career, he has negotiated, industry-defining partnerships with major labels, publishers, and global rights holders, helping advance new models for content licensing, distribution and artist engagement.”<\/p>\n \u201cHis leadership will be instrumental as HYBE continues to expand globally and elevate the value of our artists, IP, and creative ecosystem.\u201d<\/p>\n Isaac Lee<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cGene brings a rare combination of legal expertise, business acumen, and a deep understanding of how music operates across emerging platforms,\u201d said Chairman and CEO Isaac Lee, to whom he will report.<\/p>\n \u201cHis leadership will be instrumental as HYBE continues to expand globally and elevate the value of our artists, IP, and creative ecosystem.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m honored to join HYBE at such a pivotal moment.”<\/p>\n Gene Whitney<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Whitney added: \u201cI\u2019m honored to join HYBE at such a pivotal moment.<\/p>\n “HYBE AMERICA is redefining the future of music, storytelling, and global fandom, and I look forward to contributing to the company\u2019s next chapter of innovation and expansion.\u201d<\/p>\n The string of recent appointments at HYBE AMERICA follows last year’s leadership shakeup at the company, which saw Scooter Braun step away<\/a> from his role as CEO of HYBE America in July.<\/p>\n
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