As Warner Music Group (WMG) works to cut annual costs by $300 million, it has made important adjustments at Warner Information and Warner Music Nashville.
In a realignment of its advertising and marketing division, Warner Information has mixed the digital and conventional advertising and marketing groups, leading to a number of promotions and at the least three staffers being let go.
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WMG CEO Robert Kyncl knowledgeable the workers of the pending adjustments in a July 1 workers memo obtained by Billboard.
“Many adjustments will likely be carried out within the subsequent three months, with the rest in fiscal 2026,” Kyncl wrote. Employees cuts will account for $170 million of the deliberate reductions.
Warner Information’ revamped advertising and marketing group will now be run by Dalia Ganz, who has been promoted to govt vp/head of digital & advertising and marketing and can report back to Warner Information GM Mike Chester.
Reporting to Ganz are Sam Riddle, who has been promoted to senior vp/head of digital advertising and marketing and Will Morrow, who has been upped to senior vp/head of viral advertising and marketing. Three executives have additionally been raised from vps to senior vps of promoting technique and operations: Jesse Ervin, TJ Landig and Shawnae Corbett-Rice.
The commerce group has additionally been restructured and will likely be led by Axel Hyge, senior vp of streaming technique, and Dave Edwards, senior vp of income & operations.
Quite a lot of executives are leaving because of the adjustments, Warner Information mentioned in an announcement, together with Dionnee Harper, govt vp of promoting & artist growth; Josh Remsberg, senior vp/head of business income and Kristine Ripley, vp of artist growth.
“This can be a reimagining of how we are able to greatest market and develop distinctive expertise. It’s designed for pace, intelligence, collaboration, and high flight service to our unbelievable roster,” Chester mentioned within the July 1 memo. “Dalia is a future ahead govt whose digital advertising and marketing experience has been pivotal to our current success. And Sam, Will, Jesse, TJ, Shawnae, Axel, and Dave are the perfect within the enterprise, bringing unbelievable enthusiasm, information, and expertise to their work. Along with their whole groups, I’ve little question they’ll do an exceptional, industry-leading job for our artists as we proceed to construct groundbreaking careers in a quickly increasing musical universe.”
Moreover, Warner Music Nashville, which studies by means of Warner Information, let go of 4 staffers within the restructuring: radio supervisor Ray Mariner, supervisor of video content material Andrew Schollnick, director of catalog advertising and marketing Sarah Sigro and director of world advertising and marketing Caitlin Cadden. Nation Aircheck first reported the cuts.
A Warner Music Nashville consultant confirmed the cuts and added in an announcement, “As we proceed to deepen our dedication to unique artists, we’re working with Warner Information and our world community to create sooner, extra impactful alternatives for Nashville expertise. As a part of this evolution, we’re forming two supercharged radio promotion groups to ship even larger outcomes for our artists. Immediately, we made the tough determination to say goodbye to 4 colleagues who all go away with our deep gratitude and greatest needs for his or her subsequent chapters.”
In his July 1 memo, Kyncl indicated that the cash freed up by means of these cuts will likely be reinvested in A&R and M&A. Additionally on July 1, WMG introduced the launch of its $1.2 billion catalog acquisition venture with Bain Capital.
That is the trade network in a collection of WMG layoffs since 2023, together with a 4% workers discount in March 2023, a ten% reduce in 2024 and an Atlantic Information restructuring final September.