MIKE DUNGAN TO RETIRE AS UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP NASHVILLE CHAIRMAN & CEOWidely Respected and Highly-Accomplished Executive To Step Down From CEO Role After More Than Four Decades In Music BusinessOFFICIAL PRESS RELEASENEWS PROVIDED BY Universal Music Group SANTA MONICA and NASHVILLE, JANUARY 9, 2023 – Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment, today announced that Mike Dungan, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group Nashville, and one of the most successful executives in the history of Country Music, will step down from his position in March 2023, after more than a decade there. After stepping down from his role, Dungan will serve as an advisor to UMG Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge. “Mike is a unique force,” said Sir Lucian Grainge, UMG’s Chairman and CEO. “He has had an incredible impact on the careers and well-being of so many in Nashville through the years – from artists to employees. After a brilliant four decades in Nashville, and with our team they are well-positioned for continued strength, Mike is making an admirable and well-deserved life change. And while he won’t be serving in his CEO capacity, I’ve asked him to continue to contribute to areas that we’re both passionate about—breaking genre barriers and delivering critical support to artists past and present. I am deeply grateful to Mike for all he has done for our company and our artists and congratulate him on his unprecedented career success. I’m so pleased we will continue to have the benefit of his experience, deep relationships and wisdom.” A veteran of more than forty years in the music business – beginning at the age of 16, doing odd jobs in a Cincinnati record store – Dungan has a long track record as one of music’s most successful and artist-friendly executives, helping to elevate his artists beyond genre boundaries and achieve mainstream success. In 2000, Dungan was named President of EMI Music’s Capitol Nashville, where for 12 years he led the label to unprecedented success. Capitol was named Billboard magazine’s “Country Label of the Year” for seven consecutive years from 2005 to 2012. In 2012, Dungan joined UMG as Chairman and CEO of its Nashville division, which included the reintegration of Capitol Nashville into its ranks, following UMG’s purchase of EMI Records. During his tenure, Dungan has overseen the careers of some of country music’s most iconic performers, alongside some of the biggest breakthrough artists of the last decade, including Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Chris Stapleton, Lady Antebellum, Carrie Underwood, Little Big Town, George Strait, Eric Church, Darius Rucker, Alan Jackson, Shania Twain, Dierks Bentley, Maddie & Tae, Gary Allan, Vince Gill, Billy Currington, Sam Hunt, Kacey Musgraves, Brothers Osborne, Mickey Guyton, Parker McCollum, Priscilla Block, and Reba. Prior to working at EMI, Dungan held positions at RCA and Arista, where he was instrumental in the careers of Brooks Dunn, Alan Jackson, Pam Tillis, Diamond Rio and Brad Paisley. Alongside his work at Universal Music Group, Dungan has been a passionate champion of philanthropic causes, supporting the likes of Music Health Alliance, the CMA Foundation, Wounded Warrior, St. Jude, Planned Parenthood, the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and Second Harvest Food Bank, among others. Further announcements regarding his successor will follow at a later date.
Source Universal Music Group
January 9, 2023 10:00am ET by Pressparty |