President and CEO of Capitol Music Group Michelle Jubelirer is leaving the company, he announced in a memo to staff this morning (February 6) obtained by Advertising sign. The move comes less than a week after the chairman/CEO of Universal Music Group announced a restructuring of label groups at the company that will shift Capitol, among other labels, under the supervision of Interscope chairman/CEO Geffen A&M. John Janick.
Jubelirer, who has held her current title since December 2021, will leave the company after today.
“I am deeply saddened to no longer be with the company we have rebuilt and taken to new heights over the past two years,” he writes. “As I've said before, I don't think any record group has been able to turn things around as quickly as we have, and I'm confident that we've set Capitol Music Group on the path to a great future.”
Jubelirer joined Capitol in early 2013 as an executive vice president under then-CMG CEO Steve Barnett, and quickly became his second-in-command at the music conglomerate, which also included Motown, Blue Note, Astralwerks and, until recently, indie distributor Virgin Music; In 2015, he was promoted to COO, a role he held throughout Barnett's reign at the top of the label, which ended in late 2020. He remained as COO under Barnett's successor, Jeff Vaughn, who briefly moved to the top role, before Jubelirer succeeded Vaughn in late 2021.
A long-time attorney who also spent time at Sony Music before joining Capitol, Jubelirer was involved in revitalizing the storied label following EMI's takeover by UMG in 2012 and was a regular at Advertising signThe Women in Music and Power 100 features the last few years. With her appointment in 2021 to the top job, Jubelirer became the first female executive to lead the Capitol in its more than 80-year history.
In 2023, Capitol captured a 6.66% market share in the US, including a current market share of 5.90% – which measures releases from the past 18 months – which was fifth among all labels for the full year. Both numbers increased significantly during her first year at the helm in 2022, when Capitol's overall market share was 6.40% and its current market share was 4.97%.
Last week, Grainge announced a restructuring of the UMG labels, returning the company to an operating structure more similar to the one that existed from 1999 to 2014, before the full merger with Capitol. Under this new configuration, which is loosely an East Coast-West Coast alignment, Janick oversees Interscope, Geffen, Capitol, Motown, Priority, Verve and Blue Note, while Republic Records CEO Monte Lipman will oversee the Republic, Def Jam, Island and Mercury. .
See her letter to staff in detail below:
To my team at Capitol Music Group,
I wanted you to hear this news directly from me: I have made the extremely difficult decision to leave the company that has been my home for more than a decade, and so today will be my last as President & CEO of Capitol Music Group.
I am deeply saddened that I will no longer be with the company that we have rebuilt and grown to new heights over the past two years. As I've said before, I don't think any label has been able to turn things around as quickly as we have, and I'm confident that we've set Capitol Music Group on the path to a great future.
Together, we became a real team. a diverse group of individuals connected by our love of music and our passion for art, and whose differences in backgrounds and cultural tastes made each of us stronger supporters and champions of our artists. In such a competitive and fast-paced world, we gave it our all—every minute of the day—so that our artists could seize the opportunity to realize their dreams and ultimately succeed.
I am so lucky to work in a business that I love and to be constantly surrounded by music and the talented people who create it. Every day, I renewed my promise to do my best for our artists, and they have given me so much in return. No matter where I am in this business, I will always approach my relationships with artists as their advocate, protector and fan.
I will let you know about my future plans as soon as possible.
In closing, let me just say to each of you: Thank you. It has been an honor to be on this journey with you.
With love and appreciation,
Michelle
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/business/record-labels/michelle-jubelirer-exits-capitol-music-group-umg-restructure-1235600150/