By Gabriella Steffenberg
Billboard recently sat down with Jody Gerson, the chairman/CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group, to discuss her lengthy career in the music industry, her strengths, her opinion on women in business, her mentors, and the key differences in regards to her new job.
Photo by Rainer Hosch
Gerson is a well-known A&R executive, with proof being in her identifying and signing artists such as Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, and Norah Jones early on in their careers. Her first job within A&R was at Chappell Music (now Warner/Chappell) for 6 years, moved to EMI for 12 years, and then to Sony/ATV in 2008. Now she is 6 months into her job as chairman/CEO of UMPG and has recently signed Ariana Grande and Tobias Jesso Jr.
When asked about the major differences between her past jobs and present job, Gerson said that at UMPG there is the focus on “having passion about the music” rather than solely making money.
For the full feature on Gerson, head to www.billboard.com.
