Merlin Celebrates Member and Partner Executives Named Billboard’s Indie Power Players for 2023
Merlin extends a heartfelt congratulations to all the executives from Merlin members and partners who have been named Billboard Indie Power Players for 2023. From groundbreaking releases to innovative marketing strategies, they continue to redefine the independent music industry’s landscape and we couldn’t be prouder to have them as part of our community.
4AD (Beggars)
- Simon Halliday – Worldwide Managing Director
ATO Records
- Jon Salter – President/Head of A&R
Beggars Group
- Martin Mills – Chairman
- Nabil Ayers – President U.S.
- Claire Taylor – GM U.S.
Better Noise Music
- Allen Kovac – Founder/Chairman
- Dan Waite – CEO
- Steve Kline – President/COO
CDBaby
- Scott Williams – President
- Christine Barnum – Chief Revenue Officer
Cinq Music Group
- Barry Daffurn – Co-Founder/President
Create Music Group
- Jonathan Strauss – Co-Founder/CEO
- Alexandre Williams – Co-Founder/COO
- Wayne Hampton – Co-Founder/Chief Business Development Officer
Curb/Word Entertainment
- Mike Curb – Chairman
Distrokid
- Philip Kaplan – Founder/CEO
Downtown Music Group
- Pieter van Rijn – President
- Ben Patterson – COO
EMPIRE
- Ghazi – Founder/CEO
- Nima Etminan – COO
- Tina Davis – Senior VP of A&R
- Michael Gallegus – Senior VP of Business and Legal Affairs
- Jonathan Jules – VP of International Marketing and Operations
FUGA
- Christiaan Kröner – President
Go Digital Media
- Jason Peterson – CEO
InnerCat Music Group
- Paris Cabezas – Managing Partner
- Ana Gonzalez – Managing Partner
- Garrett Schaefer – GM
Kartel Music
- Alfredo Becerra – Co-CEO
- Leonardo Soto Tovar – Co-CEO
Matador Records (Beggars)
- Patrick Amory – Co-Owner/President
- Chris Lombardi – Co-Owner
MNRK Music Group
- Chris Taylor – President/CEO
Mom+Pop
- Michael Goldstone – Founder/Co-Owner
- Thaddeus Rudd – Co-Owner
ONErpm
- Emmanuel Zunz – Founder/CEO
[PIAS]
- Kenny Gates – Founder/Owner
Redeye Worldwide
- Michael Howard – Director of Operations
- Laura Pittard – Director of Marketing
- Hank Stockard – Director of Business Development
Reservoir Media
- Rell Lafargue – President/COO
Rough Trade Records (Beggars)
- Melanie Sheehan – GM U.S.
Secretly Distribution
- Darius Van Arman – CEO
- Chris Welz – COO
Secretly Group
- Ben Swanson – Co-Founder/COO
- Chris Swanson – Co-Founder/President of A&R
- Nick Blandford – Managing Director, Americas
- Phil Waldorf – Co-Founder/Chief Marketing Officer
- Jon Coombs – VP of A&R
- Kraegan Graves – VP of Operations, Americas
- Hannah Carlen – Senior Director of Marketing and Communications
Stem Disintermedia
- Milana Rabkin Lewis – CEO
- Kristin Graziani – President
Sub Pop Records
- Jonathan Poneman – Co-Founder/Co-President
- Tony Kiewel – Co-President
- Megan Jasper – CEO
Third Man Records
- Jack White – Founder/Owner
UnitedMasters
- Steve Stoute – Founder/CEO
- David Melhado – VP of Music
- Mike Weiss – VP of Music
XL Recordings/YOUNG (Beggars)
- Laura Lyons – Head of U.S. Campaigns
A2IM
- Richard James Burgess – President/CEO
AIM
- Silvia Montello – CEO
IMPALA
- Helen Smith – Executive Chair
Merlin
- Jeremy Sirota – CEO
WIN
- Noemí Planas – CEO
SoundCloud
- Eliah Steon – CEO
- Tracy Chan – Senior VP of Creator
