Paladin Artists Names Rick Levy CEO, Eyes Entourage Talent Acquisition

Paladin Artists, the Los Angeles and New York headquartered agency that represents Blondie, Sublime, David Gilmour, Steve Van Zandt and more, has hired industry veteran Rick Levy as Chief Executive Officer. The appointment comes as the company looks to acquire New York-based agency Entourage Talent Associates.

Backstory:

• Levy’s previous leadership roles include Chief Operating Officer, General Counsel and founding partner of ICM Partners, where he played a key role in the agency’s strategic expansion, operational modernization and acquisitions, as per Pollstar.

• He also served as interim CEO of Just For Laughs/Juste Pour Rire.

• He remains a partner at London-based Primary Talent International.

Acquisition plans:

• Pollstar reports that Paladin is in “advanced discussions” to buy Entourage Talent Associates, home to artists such as Tedeschi Trucks Band and Joe Satriani.

• Entourage was founded by Wayne Forte, who is the current President of the National Independent Talent Organization (NITO), and has been on Paladin’s Board since 2021.

What they said:

• Rick Levy: “What attracted me to Paladin was not the size of the company, but the size of the opportunity. Our edge is our ability to be nimble in the face of rapid changes in the ecosystem in which we operate. With an exceptional foundation, respected roster, and artist-centric culture already in place, I’m excited to lead the next phase of strategic growth to build the leading independent booking and live entertainment company in the business.”