AEG announces slate of hires and promotions
AEG Presents has announced a slate of promotions and new hires to its global touring and talent division in the US, effective immediately.
Existing employees Amy Buck, Dan Cleff, Adam Cohen, Nicole Dellarocca, Brittanie Delava, and Lindsay Dworman are all promoted while Shelby Moran and Jonathan Ramos join the company.
Delava, who has been with AEG Presents since joining as club and theatre tour coordinator in 2016, and Ramos, who joins the company from Canada-based Ink Entertainment Group, are named vice presidents of global touring and talent.
Meanwhile, Buck is promoted to senior director of marketing, Cohen to director of touring, and Cleff and Dellarocca each named director of ticketing. Moran joins the company as director of artist development from Warner Music Nashville, where she worked in the same capacity.
“It finally feels like a hopeful, optimistic time in our business”
In addition to Delava and Ramos, global touring and talent’s promoter team also sees Dworman upped to director of touring.
“It’s truly my honour to both congratulate our six team members who are receiving promotions, as well as welcome Jonathan and Shelby to the team,” says Gary Gersh, AEG Presents’ president of global touring and talent.
“There’s nothing more gratifying to be able to see people grow and succeed from within, and it’s that much more exciting when it’s combined with the addition of new perspectives and energy. It finally feels like a hopeful, optimistic time in our business, and I can’t wait to see the contributions made by all eight of these exceptional individuals.”
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AEG promotes Cody Lauzier to SVP of global touring
AEG Presents has announced that Fredrick Lauzier – better known as Cody – has been promoted the senior vice president of its global touring and talent division.
Lauzier, who previously served as vice president and general manager of AEG’s global touring arm, will take on an expanded role in all touring operations, including ticketing, production and overall global strategy.
In his new role, Lauzier will work closely with Gary Gersh, who launched AEG Presents global touring and talent as president last year, and the rest of the team, including the division’s recently appointed executive vice president Debra Rathwell.
“Cody has an incredible level of passion and commitment to his job that’s inspiring to everyone around him,” comments Gersh. “He’s a critical member of our team, and he has an unreal instinct in terms of artist development and trends. I’m so proud of him and his accomplishments, and I’m thrilled to announce his new position.”
“AEG Presents has been my home for the past 13 years, and I’ve been honoured to play a part in our growth and continued success”
“AEG Presents has been my home for the past 13 years, and I’ve been honoured to play a part in our growth and continued success,” comments Lauzier. “I can’t wait to take on this new challenge and dive in headfirst, and I’m grateful to Gary for his friendship, leadership and support.”
Since joining AEG Presents in 2007, Lauzier has helped to promote festivals and tours for Goldenvoice, Concerts West and AEG global touring and worked with artists including Katy Perry, Tyler, The Creator, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Cage The Elephant, Panic! at the Disco and more.
Currently Lauzier is overseeing Sturgill Simpson’s Good Look’n tour as well as German band Rammstein’s upcoming North American stadium dates.
AEG Presents promotes festivals including Coachella, this year headlined by Rage Against the Machine, Travis Scott and Frank Ocean, and British Summer Time Hyde Park, which features headline acts including Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift, Little Mix and Pearl Jam.
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AEG Presents names Global Touring VPs
AEG Presents has appointed Alicia Karlin and Jenny Heifetz Henault as vice-presidents of its Global Touring and Talent division.
Gary Gersh, president of Global Touring and Talent, comments: “Alicia and Jenny are incredibly talented and have bright futures ahead of them. Jenny has executed some of the biggest tours in music over the past decade and Alicia is known for her ingenuity and creative artist development. I’m grateful to have them on the team and I couldn’t be happier to be announcing these two well-deserved promotions.”
Jenny Heifetz Henault has been with AEG Presents’ New York office for ten years, most recently as senior director of Global Touring, where she worked with EVP Debra Rathwell on tours including Elton John, the Who, Lorde, John Mellencamp and JoJo Siwa.
Alicia Karlin joined AEG as vice-president of talent and senior event producer in 2014, when AEG Presents (then AEG Live) acquired her previous company, Madison House Presents. She also books the four-day Electric Forest festival in Michigan, which is co-produced by Madison House Presents.
“[This is] a truly remarkable team that is redefining what it means to be a tour promoter”
Karlin, who will continue to book Electric Forest, says: “I can’t imagine a better way to start the new decade than joining the Global Touring team at AEG Presents. Working with world-class artists to elevate their vision to a global audience at a pivotal point in history is how we shift culture, and Gary has built the most qualified team with the creativity and resources to do it.”
“I’ve been fortunate to work with some of the most talented, quality people in the industry, and I am beyond thrilled to embark on this next phase of my career alongside a truly remarkable team that is redefining what it means to be a tour promoter,” adds Heifetz Henault. “This is an exciting opportunity to help lay the foundation for our department and shape the vision for our future.”
Both VPs will relocate to AEG Presents’ headquarters in Los Angeles.
AEG Global Touring and Talent is promoter AEG Presents’ specialist international touring division. Headed up by Gersh, it launched in September 2018 and sits alongside other AEG-owned companies including Goldenvoice, Marshall Arts and Concerts West.
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AEG Presents Global Touring promotes Debra Rathwell
AEG Presents has promoted Debra Rathwell to executive vice-president of its Global Touring and Talent division.
The appointment was made by Gary Gersh, who launched AEG Presents Global Touring and Talent as president last year.
“Debra continues to bring a wealth of knowledge, expertise and deep relationships to our company as a whole, and our department specifically,” says Gersh. “She has a fantastic vision for the global landscape and an unmatched commitment to her artists. She’s an integral part of our team, and I’m thrilled to announce this much-deserved promotion.”
“She’s an integral part of our team”
Rathwell, a Canadian, began her career in Montreal, working for Donald K. Donald as VP of concerts, handling tours for Tina Turner, Genesis, Celine Dion, Bryan Adams, Leonard Cohen, among others. She joined Metropolitan Entertainment in New York City in 1994 and moved to AEG as senior vice-president (SVP) in 2002, opening its New York office.
She was most recently SVP, Global Touring and Talent.
“I’ve been so privileged to be a part of the ongoing growth and success of AEG’s concert business since I arrived here in 2002,” Rathwell comments. “It’s continually inspiring to come to work every day surrounded by such talented artists and co-workers, and I’m looking forward to what’s to come.”
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Kelly Stelbasky joins AEG Presents as SVP, global touring
Kelly Stelbasky has joined AEG Presents as vice-president of global touring, Gary Gersh, president of the company’s Global Touring and Talent division, has announced.
Stelbasky joins AEG Presents from Live Nation, where she was vice-president of US concerts, working with acts including Lizzo, Kings of Leon, Twenty One Pilots, John Mayer, Zac Brown Band and Dead and Company. Prior to joining Live Nation Stelbasky she worked at Paradigm Talent Agency.
“The significant worldwide growth and expansion of AEG Presents these past few years has created the need for additional seasoned executives like Kelly,” says Gersh, who leads Global Touring and Talent, which was established last September.
“I can’t wait to be part of all the exciting things that are happening at the company”
“There is no person more suited to step into this position and nobody more qualified to help us build our artist development strategy and global touring plans for our artists.”
“I’m thrilled to join Gary and the world-class team at AEG Presents,” adds Kelly Stelbasky, who will be based in AEG Presents’ Los Angeles headquarters, “and I can’t wait to be a part of all the exciting things that are happening at the company.”
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AEG Global Touring poaches Frontier, YouTube execs
Michael Harrison, former tour director at Michael Gudinski’s Frontier Touring, and David Rappaport, recently head of artist relations for the Americas at YouTube Music/Google Play Music, have joined AEG Presents’ new Global Touring division.
True to its name, AEG Global Touring and Talent is the company’s new specialist international touring division. Headed up by president Gary Gersh, it launched in September and sits alongside other AEG-owned companies including Goldenvoice, Marshall Arts and Concerts West.
At Frontier, Harrison promoted Australasian tours by the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Royal Blood, the Killers, Sam Smith, Lorde and Flight of the Conchords. He “has been bringing artists to Australia for years from Europe and bringing them through Australia to Asia,” Gersh tells Billboard. “His area of expertise brings a tremendous amount to the group, [and] his relationships worldwide are imperative for us to grow the group at the level at which we plan to.”
Rappaport, meanwhile, worked on promo campaigns with artists including Led Zeppelin, Panic! at the Disco and Camila Cabella, according to AEG.
“We are already seeing some clear direction that where we are headed is super-positive”
Other AEG execs joining the Global Touring division include New York-based Donna DiBenedetto, who has been promoted to VP of global touring, Jenny Heifetz Henault, who has been named senior director of global touring, Jessica Smith, who has been promoted to senior manager of marketing, and Derek Tucker, who has been named VP of ticketing, as well as Nashville-based Laurel Hilburn, who has been promoted to manager of touring.
“Though we only announced [AEG Global Touring] a few weeks ago, we’ve been moving in this direction for the better part of eight months,” continues Gersh. “We are just now coming above board, if you will.
“We are already seeing some clear direction that where we are headed is super-positive. I think over the course of the next 12 to 24 months, we will see a tremendous growth spurt for us in our relationships with talent and our execution.”
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AEG launches new global touring division under Gary Gersh
AEG Presents has announced an expansion of its global touring business under Gary Gersh, who has been appointed president, AEG Presents Global Touring and Talent.
The company – AEG’s live entertainment touring division, formerly known as AEG Live – has added Rich Schaefer, who becomes senior VP, global touring, and Rich Holtzman, who has been named senior VP of artist development and marketing, to the new division.
Rounding out the Global Touring and Talent senior management team are longtime AEG Presents execs Larry Vallon (executive vice-president), Debra Rathwell (senior vice-president), Ali Harnell (senior vice-president), Bobby Reynolds (senior vice-president) and Cody Lauzier (vice-president/general manager).
“Global touring has always been at the core of AEG Presents, and with the increase in the number of artists who have developed global fanbases, it was clear we needed to further develop this critical division,” comments Jay Marciano, chairman and CEO of AEG Presents. “Gary’s extensive background as an accomplished label president, artist manager and touring executive made him the obvious choice to spearhead the expansion of our touring division.
“His plan to centralise tour operations to more closely align with our growing international network of touring producers will further establish AEG as a leader in global touring.”
“Live entertainment is an interesting conversation for artists and audiences alike these days”
Other AEG-owned live brands, including Goldenvoice, the Bowery Presents, Concerts West, Messina Touring Group, Marshall Arts and Madison House Presents, will continue to operate separately, as part of AEG Presents.
Gary Gersh is the founder and former CEO of management company the Artists Organization (TAO), and joined AEG in early 2017. New York-based Schaefer was most recently a partner at LoyalT Management, where he helped to guide the careers of performers including Chromeo, Lord Huron, Animal Collective, Sigrid and Aurora, and formerly worked at TAO with Gersh with clients including John Legend, Lenny Kravitz, Soundgarden and Tears for Fears.
Holtzman, also a manager, is best known for his 12-year collaboration with Portugal the Man, and most recently served as an executive at StubHub’s music business. He is also a former TAO colleague of Gersh’s.
“Throughout my career, my passion has always been in artist development, as well as building the teams necessary to execute on their unique vision,” says Gersh.
“His plan to centralise tour operations to more closely align with our network of touring producers will further establish AEG as a leader in global touring”
“Live entertainment is an interesting conversation for artists and audiences alike these days, as it continues to grow and morph quickly. Working closely with Jay and the entire AEG team over these past years has been an incredible experience and I am very excited by all of the opportunities that lie ahead as we assemble the best global touring team at this time of incredible opportunity.”
He adds: “I am also thrilled to be working with Rich and Rich again and look forward to their contributions within the group. Our time together at the Artists Organization proved what a great team we can be, and I am confident this will continue in our new roles.”
Several other AEG Presents staff are also moving over to the Global Touring division, including Nicole Neal, who has been promoted to VP of marketing, Lindsay Dworman, who becomes touring coordinator, and talent buyers Jonny Shuman, Rob Owens, Elliot Lefkowitz and Casey McCabe.
AEG Presents’ UK office promoted Simon Jones to senior VP of music, international, last month.
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