Steve Cooper
CEO, Warner Music Group
Max Lousada
CEO recorded music, Warner Music Group
Stu Bergen
CEO international and global commercial
services, Warner Music Group
Eric Levin
Executive vp/CFO, Warner Music Group
Paul Robinson
Executive vp/general counsel,
Warner Music Group
Oana Ruxandra
Executive vp new business channels/chief
acquisition officer, Warner Music Group
“Our success,” says Cooper, “comes
from our belief in our artists, our
songwriters and each other.” Warner
Music Group, under the business
guidance of Cooper and creative
leadership of Lousada, had an 11.7%
year-on-year increase in revenue to
$4.475 billion for its fiscal year end-
ing Sept. 30, 2019, according to the
company. Driving that growth? “The
quality and diversity of our music,”
says Lousada, who oversees all of the
company’s global recorded-music
operations, including Atlantic Records,
Warner Records, Warner Music Nash-
ville, Elektra Music Group, Warner
Music Latina and WMG’s respective
artist- and label-services divisions, WEA
and Alternative Distribution Alliance.
Rising star Lizzo, who was signed
as a songwriter to Warner Chappell
Music under co-chairs Guy Moot and
Carianne Marshall (shown at left; see
page 116), is the most-nominated artist
at this year’s Grammy Awards, and her
Atlantic Records album, Cuz I Love You,
has raked in 1.1 billion on-demand audio
streams. Atlantic’s global superstar Ed
Sheeran ranked at No. 2 among Spo-
tify’s most-streamed artists of the past
decade, the rebranded Warner Records
increased its A&R staff significantly,
while Elektra scored a top 10 hit on the
Billboard Hot 100 at year’s end with
“Dance Monkey” from Tones and I.
Lousada, who previously was chairman/
CEO of Warner Music U.K., and former
head of Atlantic Records U.K., brought a
global perspective when he was named
to his current WMG role two years ago.
The company partnered with Nigerian
independent label Chocolate City in
March, opened a Peruvian affiliate in
April and launched Japanese urban
label +809 in October. Brazilian singer
Anitta and K-pop girl group TWICE are
among WMG’s other border-crossing
breakouts of the past year. “To ignite
passion from fans and then sustain that
heat around the world requires local
love and global collaboration,” says
Lousada. “Our biggest successes, in any
genre, come down to teamwork.”