Bruce Resnikoff Promoted to Chairman, Universal Music Enterprises

Bruce Resnikoff has been promoted to Chairman of Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), the global catalog division of Universal Music Group (UMG). Jamie Krents will replace him as President and CEO of UMe, while continuing in his current role as President and CEO of UMG’s Verve Label Group.

Backstory:

• Resnikoff founded UMe in 1998 after the merger of Polygram and Universal.

• He is widely regarded as “the architect” of global recorded music catalog marketing.

• He was also responsible for establishing UMG’s recent entry into the estate management business.

• Krents has spent his entire career at UMG, becoming President and CEO of Verve Label Group in 2024.

• There he leads strategy across a group of labels including Impulse! Records, Verve Records, Verve Forecast, Decca Records US and label partners Decca Classics, Deutsche Grammophon, Hyperion and ECM.

Roles & responsibilities:

• Resnikoff will focus on expanding UMe’s activities including estate management, as well as acquiring name and likeness, recorded music, and audiovisual rights of artists and catalogs.

• He will also continue to work with and advise UMG artists.

• The exec was recently named as a Co-Producer on the new CNN Original Series exploring UMG’s archives, hosted by Fred Armisen.

• Krents will “accelerate the development of progressive campaigns using the latest advances in digital and direct-to-fan marketing,” as per the media release.

What they said:

• Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman & CEO of UMG: “Bruce is a brilliant executive who defined the modern catalog business, always evolving new ways of championing iconic recordings and the world’s most influential artists. He established UMe and built it into the industry’s most successful catalog division, so I’m delighted he’s taking on this new role to help us expand into exciting new areas. Bruce and Jamie already share a strong partnership, and Jamie’s inventiveness and artist-first approach make him an ideal leader to further strengthen UMe.”