Mark Pitts Steps Down as RCA Records President, Launches Cofvnders

Mark Pitts has resigned from his role as President of RCA Records and launched multi-media management company Cofvnders. Pitts will continue to consult to RCA on the acts he worked closely with and developed.

The mission:

• The venture aims to develop the next generation of creators, and will operate out of New York City and Los Angeles.

Early wins:

• Cofvnders quietly helped orchestrate the upcoming “The R&B Tour,” featuring Usher and Chris Brown, which kicks off on June 25 in Denver, Colorado.

• Pitts is credited as producer of the tour.

• The company has also partnered with entertainment attorney and entrepreneur Tamayu Takayama to launch Tokyo Sound Continuum (TSC), a songwriting program uniting US producers with Japanese songwriters, producers and artists.

• Pitts’ long-term goal for TSC is that it positions Japan as a central force in the future of global music.

Backstory:

• Born in Brooklyn, Pitts previously led and managed The Notorious B.I.G., Changing Faces and Faith Evans.

• He later served as VP of A&R at Arista Records, before becoming President of Urban Music at Jive Records, while managing J. Cole.

• During his tenure at RCA he held simultaneous positions as President of RCA and CEO of ByStorm Entertainment.

• He occupied the latter role at the imprint he founded in 1998 through the end of his trajectory at RCA, where the roster included Chris Brown, Miguel and more.

What they said:

• Mark Pitts: “I’m proud of everything we built at RCA. I feel blessed to have played a part in shaping some of the most important careers in music, but even more importantly, in leading and helping guide the lives of young women and men. That’s legacy. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with RCA and Sony Music in a new capacity, while also feeling more energized than ever about what I’m building with COFVNDERS. After more than 25 years in this business, to still feel this level of excitement is a blessing in itself.”