On The Move: BMG-Concord Names Björn Bauer as CFO; RECORDS Promotes Saltman to SVP

Each week, NIF & ROSTR tracks all the industry moves you need to know about. Promotions, hirings, farewells — have one you want to share? Click here.

RECORDS has promoted Andrew Saltman to SVP of Artist Development and Sara Gil to General Manager. Saltman will lead the combined marketing and digital teams across RECORDS and RECORDS Nashville, while Gil takes on operational and strategic responsibilities across both offices.

WMG's Armin Zerza has added COO to his CFO title just over a year into his tenure at the company, taking on expanded responsibilities across corporate development, marketing, and business intelligence — areas he had largely already been overseeing.

Björn Bauer, a longtime Bertelsmann executive who most recently served as CFO of RTL Group, has been named CFO of the soon-to-be-merged BMG and Concord. Based in Nashville, he will report to incoming CEO Bob Valentine and take on responsibility for both finance and M&A once the deal closes, which is expected in the second half of 2026.

WME expanded its contemporary music department with five agent moves across three offices. New hires Barbara Frum (Beverly Hills), Michelle Martinez (New York), and Jana Recmanikova (London, from Festival Republic) join the department, while Kath Butler and Giulia Spadaro were promoted internally in London, both focusing on international touring.

Bamboo Publishing, the publishing arm of European independent Bamboo Artists, has hired Nancy Matalon as Head of US Publishing. The former Spirit Music Group VP brings extensive A&R experience and will work to strengthen creative ties between the company's Berlin base and the US market.

AEG Presents has promoted Chelsea Cunningham and Justin Miller to VP of North American Venues. Cunningham, based in LA, will focus on operational efficiency and revenue growth across the company's venue portfolio, while Detroit-based Miller takes charge of capital improvements and maintenance nationally.

FKP Scorpio has hired Chiara Morello as International Promoter, based in Amsterdam. She joins from AEG Presents, where as Director of Touring she worked large-scale international campaigns for Céline Dion, The Rolling Stones, and Hans Zimmer.

Other notable moves…

• Independent distributor IDOL has appointed Evan Whikehart as General Manager for North America. He joins from Secretly Distribution, bringing over a decade of indie music experience.

• Merlin appointed Jim Mahoney as Chief Membership Officer, giving him global oversight of the organization's membership strategy and engagement.

• Riser House Entertainment made four moves: Shane Allen joins as EVP of Promotion & Artist Brand Strategy, while Megan Stottlemyer, Alex Heimerman, and Jason VanAuken were promoted to VP of Label Operations, Head of Marketing and Label Strategy, and VP of Business Affairs, respectively.

• Warner Music Finland launched Atlantic Records Finland, a new pop and rap imprint led by Fredi Lundén, with former Universal Music Finland executive Kristiina Wheeler coming aboard as Senior A&R.

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