Sony Music Shuffles Exec Suite

Sony BMG Music Entertainment's Sony Music Label Group has made some major executive moves rewarding several top long-term Sony staffers, keyed by the promotion of chief operating officer Michele Anthony to the role of president.

Steve Barnett, previously president of Epic Records, was upped to chairman of Columbia Records Group. Will Botwin, a 10-year veteran who was named to that post in February after serving as Columbia Records Group president for two years, has resigned (HR 2/9).

Charlie Walk, previously executive vp creative marketing and promotion at Columbia Records Group, succeeds Barnett as Epic president.

Lisa Ellis, most recently general manager of Sony Urban Music, has been elevated to president of the unit.

Steve Greenberg, who joined Columbia Records as president in February, remains on board in that role (HR 2/10).

A damper was placed on the round of promotions by a front page story in Sunday's Los Angeles Times claiming that Walk and Sony Music Label Group U.S. CEO Don Ienner were aware of pay-for-airplay practices outlined in Sony BMG's July settlement with New York state attorney general Eliot Spitzer. In the report, a Sony BMG attorney and a company spokesman denied the allegations.

Anthony, who continues in her role as Sony BMG executive vp, remains based in New York. She reports to Ienner.

She joined Sony Music in 1990 as senior vp, and previously served as executive vp Sony Music Entertainment and executive vp at the domestic music unit. Before joining Sony, Anthony was a partner at the entertainment law firm of Manatt, Phelps, Rothenberg & Phillips; her clients included Guns N' Roses, Ozzy Osbourne, Alice in Chains and the Pixies.

Ienner, who previously held the titles of president and CEO, said: "Giving Michele half my title is the perfect way to recognize that she is a true partner who has been a major force behind the success stories at all of our labels. … She has taken a leadership role in the major events affecting both the company and the industry — her support and guidance were central to building the Sony Music Label Group."

Barnett, Walk and Ellis report to Ienner and Anthony.

Barnett was promoted to Epic president in October 2004. He was executive vp/general manager of the label for the previous four years, and had served in a variety of executive capacities there since 1996. He was president of Hard to Handle Management, where his clients included AC/DC, Cyndi Lauper and Foreigner.

Walk, a veteran promotion executive, began his career at Sony Music Distribution in 1987. He has taken senior promotion roles at Columbia since 1997.

Ellis — who has overseen some of Sony's major successes this year with hit albums by John Legend and Lyfe Jennings — joined Columbia Records in 1995 as a local promotion manager. She is responsible for overall management of Sony's urban music division.

In other Sony moves, Sony Music executive vp sales Tom Donnarumma becomes general manager of Columbia Records, and Alan Price, previously senior vp finance at Sony Music, is lifted to senior vp finance and operations.

Donnarumma began his sales career at CBS Records in 1986; with the exception of one year at PolyGram, he has spent the rest of his career at Sony Music. He reports to Barnett.

Price's tenure at Sony dates back to 1991, when he joined the firm as a financial analyst after a stint at Arthur Andersen. He became vp finance for Jeff Ayeroff and Jordan Harris' Sony imprint the WORK Group in 1995 and has held a number of senior finance titles at Sony since. He reports to Ienner, Anthony and Sony BMG chief financial officer Kevin Kelleher.