Tom Corson Promoted to WMG COO as Armin Zerza Steps Down

Warner Music Group (WMG) has promoted Warner Records Co-Chairman and Chief Operating Officer Tom Corson to COO of the entire organization, reporting directly to WMG CEO Robert Kyncl. The announcement comes as Armin Zerza, WMG CFO & COO, steps down for personal reasons, effective immediately.

Tom Corson:

• WMG says Corson will now apply his “deep domain expertise and operational rigor” across the company.

• Global marketing, merch, D2C, supply chain and more will be brought under his purview.

• He will continue at Warner Records alongside Co-Chairman and CEO Aaron Bay-Schuck for a transitional period.

• Corson joined Warner Records as Co-Chairman and COO in 2018. Prior he served as President and COO of RCA Music Group.

Armin Zerza:

• Though Zerza has stepped down from his roles immediately, he will remain available to the company through the end of the fiscal year.

• Lou Dickler, SVP, Global Controller and Chief Accounting Officer, will serve as Acting CFO while WMG seeks a permanent replacement.

• WMG CEO Robert Kyncl praised Zerza for being “an instrumental leader and member of the executive team during a crucial period of growth and transformation.”

What they said:

• Robert Kyncl: “Tom is one of the most dynamic, respected, and effective executives in the music business, and a fierce champion of talent. Together with Aaron, he’s helped architect Warner Records’ resurgence, and we’ll leverage his vision, disciplined execution, and deep experience across the entire company as we continue to deliver for our artists and songwriters while achieving our top and bottom line goals.”