Atlantic’s Promotions Department Loses Staff to Layoffs

Four senior executives from Atlantic Records’ promotions department have been laid off as part of Warner Music Group’s (WMG) $300 million cost cutting exercise.

The impacted execs:

• Greg Dorfman, a 30-year WMG veteran who was most recently Executive VP of Promotion.

• John McMann, whose 25-year tenure at Atlantic Records included his most recent role as Executive VP of Pop and Rhythmic Promotion.

• Tim Dalbec, a 35-year Atlantic staffer who was most recently VP of Promotion.

• Mark Chotiner, who had been with Atlantic roughly 17 years, and was Regional Director of West Coast Promotion.

The background:

• In July WMG CEO Robert Kyncl announced $300 million in annual cost cuts.

• He expected $170 million to come from staff cuts.

• As per Billboard, Kyncl indicated this would be the final round of layoffs, with previous staff reductions taking place when he became CEO in early 2023, and again in September 2024.

• Warner Records and Warner Music Nashville have also been hit with layoffs, most recently via a restructuring of the Warner Records marketing department.