Ormond photographed by
Yuri Hasegawa on Jan. 6 at
AEG Presents in Los Angeles.
BALDEN BOLLWINKEL
CAHILL DESCARTES
DICKINS GALLARDO
GOODMAN RUKASIN
see firsthand every day the positive
impact they have on the world.”
“Brooklyn Johnny” Descartes
Founder/CEO, District 18 Entertainment
Descartes, better known by his nickname,
Brooklyn Johnny, began 2019 cheering
on Cardi B as she became the first solo
female artist to win a Grammy Award
for best rap album, with her full-length
debut, Invasion of Privacy, on which
Johnny was executive producer. As an
A&R consultant for Atlantic Records, he
brought Cardi B to the label, where she
was signed in 2017. “It’s like a brother-
sister relationship,” he says of their
dynamic. In late 2018, Johnny struck a
joint-venture deal with RCA Records to
develop his District 18 Entertainment
label. As a manager and label executive,
Johnny hopes to nurture future Grammy
winners. “When you’re in a certain mo-
ment, you just have to go hard in order to
get to the next thing,” he says.
Lucy Dickins
Head of U.K. music, WME
In June, Dickins joined WME from
International Talent Booking, where she
had worked for two decades, to run the
agency’s U.K. music division. In her new
role, she brought along her stellar client
roster, which includes Adele, Mumford &
Sons, Laura Marling and James Blake.
“I’m currently just really proud to say I
work for WME,” says Dickins, explain-
ing that the Endeavor-owned company
offers her clients many additional oppor-
tunities. “We have such a broad network
beyond music, so the possibilities for
clients are infinite.”
Alex Gallardo
President, Sony Music Latin
In his first year as president of Sony
Music Latin, Gallardo, 44, signed Puerto
Rican star Ozuna to a multimillion-dollar
contract that is reported to be one of
the largest global deals for a Latin artist.
The agreement includes multiple future
albums and rights to the reggaetonero’s
two previous albums. But, most notably,
the transaction signaled a shift from the
long-standing practice of Spanish-speak-
ing artists signing separate, concurrent
deals with a regional Latin imprint and
a major label that caters to the English-
speaking market. Instead, Sony brokered
one all-encompassing global deal for
Ozuna. Notes Gallardo: “We also have
renewed deals with Nicky Jam, Farruko
and Gerardo Ortiz.”
Brandon Goodman
Co-founder, Best Friends Music
Danny Rukasin
Co-founder, Best Friends Music
Rukasin, 41, and Goodman, 35, are the
management team behind Billie Eilish
(as well as her brother and collabora-
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