New York , 3rd November 2021 A2IM (The American Association of Independent Music, Inc,) was pleased this year at the election of three new members to its Board of Directors, and is excited to announce the selection of its new Executive Committee. These seasoned leaders will help guide A2IM in strengthening its mission of fighting for independent copyright holders through advocacy, education, and community.
The three incoming board members are: Mariah Czap, Co-General Manager of Yep Roc; Victor Zaraya, COO of Concord; and Heather Johnson, CEO of Ninety9lives, who moves to the full A2IM board from the advisory board. The previous year’s outgoing board members include Laura Ballance, Co-Founder of Merge Records; Tony Kiewel, President of Sub Pop Records (and current chair of the A2IM Board); and Rosie Lopez, President of Tommy Boy (a previous chair of the A2IM Board).
The organization’s 2021/22 Board of Directors consists of the following:
Marie Clausen – Ninja Tune
Mariah Czap – Yep Roc
Steven Hill – Warp Records
Heather Johnson – Ninety9lives
Lisa Levy – Robbins Entertainment
Madeline Nelson – Heads Music
Martin Mills – Beggars Group
Louis Posen – Hopeless Records
Darius Van Arman – Secretly Group
Zena White – Partisan Records
Victor Zaraya – Concord
Elected by the A2IM Board, the Executive Committee will comprise: Zena White, Managing Director of Partisan Records – Chairperson; Louis Posen, President of Hopeless Records – Secretary; Lisa Levy, VP, Digital & Product Management at Robbins Entertainment – Treasurer.
Posen founded indie label Hopeless Records in 1993 and Sub City, a non-profit organization, in 1999. Hopeless Records, which has released albums for such artists as Avenged Sevenfold, All Time Low, Sum 41, and others, has since grown to one of the largest independent record labels (by market share) globally.
“Representing over 600 fellow independent labels on the board of A2IM continues to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my almost 30-year career as an independent label owner,” said Posen. “It’s an absolute honor and privilege to again be nominated by my fellow board members to be on the executive committee. The music industry is in a critical juncture, and I believe A2IM’s efforts in advocacy, education, networking and member services are most important at this time.”
Levy, the Vice President of Digital & Product Management at Robbins Entertainment, has been a key contributor to the label’s many successes including hits such as Afrojack’s “Take Over Control,” Runaground’s “Chase You Down,” Glenn Morrison’s “Goodbye,” and more.
“It’s a unique opportunity to join the Executive Committee,” she said. “After creating and leading the successful A2IM Mentor Program for the last few years, I look forward to diving deeper and contributing more to the inner workings of the board.”
White serves as Global Managing Director of Partisan Records, home of recording artists Cigarettes After Sex, IDLES, Fontaines DC, Laura Marling the catalogue of Fela Kuti, and many more. Since stepping into Partisan Records in 2017, the label has grown into a truly relevant global music company.
“A2IM continues to be at the forefront of the issues that matter most to the independent community, advocating for its members and striving for the betterment of the sector as a whole,” said White. “I am delighted to continue serving the independent community through the role of Chair of the Board, working alongside Richard James Burgess, the A2IM staff and my fellow board members.”
Each year, A2IM’s bylaws allow the President and CEO to appoint advisory board members to assist in guiding the direction of the organization. These advisory board members do not have voting status but serve one-year terms in order to broaden the perspective of the board as well as exposing a greater number of members to the activities of the board and the organization.
Joining the advisory board this year are: David Hernandez, CEO of Colonize Media Inc.; Glen Barros, Founder of Exceleration Music; Tony Alexander, President/Managing Director, Made in Memphis Entertainment; Mary Jurey, Chief Business Officer at Blue Élan Records; Eileen Tilson, VP of Marketing at Oh Boy Records; and Susan Busch, Director of A&R at Domino Records & Domino Publishing North America. A2IM thanks its two departing advisory board members, Lisa Soong, VP of Mountain Apple Company, and Roland Williams, Managing Partner at Familiar Territory.
“This year as every year, A2IM is grateful to have the guidance of such experienced senior music executives,” said A2IM CEO Richard James Burgess. “Especially as the music industry continues to move through a time full of challenges and unexpected pivots, we appreciate these leaders stepping forward to offer their perspective, their advice, and their time to help support independent music.”
About A2IM:
A2IM is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit trade organization headquartered in New York City that exists to support and strengthen the independent recorded music sector. Membership currently includes a broad coalition of nearly 700 Independently-owned American music labels. A2IM represents these independently owned small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) interests in the marketplace, in the media, on Capitol Hill, and as part of the global music community. In doing so, it supports a key segment of America’s creative class that represents America’s diverse musical cultural heritage. Billboard Magazine identified the Independent music label sector as 37.32 percent of the music industry’s U.S. recorded music sales market in 2016 based on copyright ownership, making Independent labels collectively the largest music industry sector.
The organization’s current board of directors comprises: Marie Clausen – Ninja Tune, Mariah Czap – Yep Roc, Steven Hill – Warp Records, Heather Johnson – Ninety9lives, Lisa Levy – Robbins Entertainment, Madeline Nelson – Heads Music, Martin Mills – Beggars Group, Louis Posen – Hopeless Records, Darius Van Arman – Secretly Group, Zena White – Partisan Records, Victor Zaraya – Concord.
For media inquiries:
Crystal Henderson
The Press House
crystal@thepresshouse.com
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