The music business news cycle has hit something of a summer lull. Except over at it was confirmed that long-time CEO,
Cooper will remain in the WMG hot-seat while assisting with the search for his successor – a process that could, says Warner, take a full 18 months (to the end of 2023).
As soon as MBW read the news about Cooper’s departure last Wednesday, our mind began whirring.
Who will ultimately end up taking over the CEO role from Cooper? Will that person come from inside or outside of Warner?
And, crucially, will that person come from inside or outside of the music industry?
Over the past few days, as these questions have zipped around our cerebrum, we’ve been jotting down names. Some fun, some serious; some American, some not-so American; some Warner-to-the-core, some fierce rivals of WMG.
One thing that must be taken into consideration here is that Warner – and the global music rights industry – is nearly unrecognizable from the business that Steve Cooper was flung into when he first became WMG boss in 2011.
That year, according to RIAA data, the US music industry was generating just $247.8 million from paid streaming. Last year, the same annual figure was nearly 35 times that size ($8.6bn).
Meanwhile, companies like Warner are pinning at least some of their future growth hopes on music’s relationship with industries outside of music (fitness, gaming, social etc.).
Goldman Sachs, for one, thinks that’s a smart strategy.
Will these factors play into a post-Steve Cooper recruiting process at Warner that craves diversity – of professional experience, of industry, of contacts?
Or will the pedigree of a particularly stellar long-term music executive prove too powerful to overlook?
Covering most possibilities, here are 53 potential new Warner Music Group CEOs, divided into five neat categories:
INSIDE THE TENT ? (CURRENT WARNER EXECS)
- Abigail Johnson (President & CEO, Fidelity Investments; significant shareholder, WMG)
- Ceci Kurzman (Board Member, WMG; President, Nexus Management Group)
-
Warner Music Group has an abundance of executive talent that could step into the CEO position after Steve Cooper’s exit.
For many, Max Lousada (currently CEO of recorded music for WMG) is an obvious heir to the throne. Lousada has, after all, led Warner’s global labels as a collective since accepting his current role in 2017. As such, he’s proven his ability to manage complex internal politics and conflicting agendas, all while maintaining his key artist relationships.
Warner’s most…
Read More: Steve Cooper is leaving Warner Music Group. Will one of these 53 people replace