UMPG CHAIRMAN & CEO, JODY GERSON HONORED AS EXECUTIVE OF THE DECADE
UMG CHAIRMAN & CEO, SIR LUCIAN GRAINGE NAMED #1 ON 2026 POWER LIST AND RECOGNIZED FOR A RECORD EIGHTH TIME
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment, today announced that Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, has been named No. 1 on Billboard’s 2026 Power 100 List, and Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Jody Gerson has been recognized as Executive of the Decade by Billboard in their annual 2026’s Power 100 Issue. Gerson, who is featured on the cover of the print issue, is only the second industry executive to be presented with the honor, after Grainge in 2020.
This achievement marks the eighth time Grainge has appeared at the top of the prestigious industry list, underscoring his sustained impact on the global music industry and strength of UMG’s leadership in embracing technology. In presenting this honor, Billboard highlighted, “More than any other music executive, he has shaped the modern streaming business — first by encouraging and helping to define competition…and more recently by pushing services to improve payouts to rights holders with an “artist-centric” royalty model. This year he also did more than any other executive to steer the music business into the era of artificial intelligence.”
Gerson was recognized as Executive of the Decade for her tenure as Chairman & CEO of UMPG and her transformation of UMG’s publishing business. In honoring her achievements, Billboard said, “Since 2015, she’s reigned as the most powerful woman in the music business — while tripling UMPG’s revenue and championing songwriters and the value of music at every opportunity. In the process, Gerson has showed the business how to be a leader at a global music giant with grace, integrity, selflessness and the utmost respect for her songwriters as well as her staff, while still always speaking her mind and using her role as “a platform,” and building strategic bridges with influential leaders beyond the music industry who can affect music’s value.”
In addition to Sir Lucian Grainge at No. 1, additional UMG executives named to Billboard’s 2026 Power List include: Michele Anthony, UMG’s Executive Vice President; Matt Ellis, UMG’s Chief Financial Officer; Jeffrey Harleston, UMG’s General Counsel, Executive Vice President of Business & Legal Affairs; Boyd Muir, UMG’s Chief Operating Officer; Michael Nash, UMG’s Executive Vice President, Chief Digital Officer, and; Will Tanous, UMG’s Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer.
At UMPG, in addition to Gerson, Billboard recognized Chief Operating Officer Marc Cimino; President, Latin America And U.S. Latin Alexandra Lioutikoff; and Chairman and CEO Universal Music Publishing Nashville, Troy Tomlinson.
Billboard also recognized many of UMG’s label and business unit heads including Republic Collective Founder and Chairman Monte Lipman; Republic Collective Co-Founder and Vice Chairman Avery Lipman; Interscope Capitol Chairman and CEO John Janick; Interscope Capitol Vice Chairman Steve Berman; Capitol Music Group Chairman and CEO Tom March; Def Jam Recordings Chairman and CEO Tunji Balogun; Island Records Co-Chairman & Co-CEO’s Justin Eshak and Imran Majid; Republic Records Chairman & CEO Jim Roppo; Republic Records Chairwoman & CEO Wendy Goldstein; Mercury Records Chairman & CEO Ben Adelson; MCA President & CEO Mike Harris, Universal Music Latin and Iberian Peninsula Chairman and CEO Jesus Lopez; Universal Music Enterprises President and CEO Bruce Resnikoff; Virgin Music Group Co-CEO’S JT Myers and Nat Pastor; and Virgin Music Label & Artist Services President, North America Jacqueline Saturn among others.
This recognition reflects UMG’s broad leadership across recorded music, publishing, distribution, digital strategy, and the wider ecosystem — reinforcing the company’s influence and vision in today’s music industry.
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SOURCE Universal Music Group
