WMG, The Orchard, Boosey & Hawkes, Rolling Stone Announce Key Hires

The Orchard welcomed Frederik Boutahar as vice president of GSA, overseeing operations in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Based in Berlin, Frederik reports to Chris Manning, the managing director of the UK and Europe, and will lead strategy, client relations and regional growth. Previously vp of A&R at Columbia Label Group GSA, he signed major acts like Brutalismus 3000 and CRO. His career includes leadership roles at TwoSides and Irrsinn, working with artists such as Paula Hartmann and Giant Rooks. Frederik will also serve as a key liaison with Sony Music and internal teams, strengthening The Orchard’s presence in the region.

Classical music publisher Boosey & Hawkes has announced that Janis Susskind will step down as managing director in June 2026, concluding a 46-year career. Steven Lankenau, senior vice president, will become president in January and assume full leadership by July. Under Susskind’s guidance, Boosey & Hawkes expanded globally, tripled new-music revenues, and signed diverse talent including Joe Hisaishi and Jeanine Tesori. Lankenau, with 15 years at the Concord-owned company, has led major campaigns and signed acclaimed composers like Gabriela Ortiz. Concord chief publishing executive Jim Selby praised Susskind’s “vision, integrity, and unwavering commitment to composers,” and called Lankenau’s appointment “an exciting moment of history and renaissance” for Boosey & Hawkes, as the storied publisher approaches its centenary in 2030 and continues to expand its global influence.

Rolling Stone has appointed Dan Weiner as senior vice president, head of sales and partnerships. Based in Los Angeles, Weiner will oversee global sales strategy and drive revenue across RS’s platforms, reporting to CEO Julian Holguin. With over 20 years in media sales and brand partnerships, Weiner previously led digital transformation at Condé Nast, boosting revenue through cross-platform sponsorships for events like The Met Gala and Vanity Fair Oscars Party. He also helped Pandora evolve into a billion-dollar audio advertising platform and held leadership roles at CBS and iHeartMedia. “Dan’s deep expertise in digital transformation and brand partnerships will be instrumental as we continue to evolve and expand Rolling Stone’s global presence,” said Holguin. (Penske Media Corporation owns Rolling Stone, along with other major media brands such as Billboard and Variety.)

BBR Music Group/BMG has expanded its North America A&R team, promoting Camille Kenny, Tahsin Rakib Himi and Kennedy Nickerson, and hiring Jacee Badeaux and Talia Heimanson. Kenny rises to VP, A&R. Kenny joined the label in 2024, with previous stops at Big Loud Records, WME and THiS Music. Badeaux joins as Sr. Director, A&R and previously worked at Big Yellow Dog. Rakib Himi has been promoted to Director, A&R Research; she previously led the analytics engineering team, and has had previous career stops at Hearst Magazines and Vox Media. Nickerson has been promoted to manager, A&R. Nickerson joined the label in 2020, and previously held roles at the company including income tracking coordinator and Sr. Coordinator, A&R. Heimanson has joined the label as A&R Coordinator. Heimanson previously supported the A&R team at Red Bull Records; her career background includes stops at United Talent Agency, and booking live shows at UC Santa Barbara. –Jessica Nicholson

The Association of Independent Music (AIM) held its annual general meeting in London, where Aly Gillani (First Word Records), Helen Sims (Communion Records), Mark Lippmann (Scruff of the Neck) and Toby Egekwu (Finesse Foreva/Sentric Music) were elected to the board, replacing Maya Kalev (Stones Throw Records), Nicole McKenzie (MIC Records), Stella Reid (Rough Bones) and Suzanne Lachapelle (Cooking Vinyl). CEO Gee Davy praised the board’s diversity and reaffirmed AIM’s commitment to fairness, choice and creativity. The meeting emphasized AIM’s advocacy on responsible AI and market consolidation, and introduced the 2026 theme: “Collective Strength.” 

Women in Music has officially relaunched its UK chapter, led by co-chairs Trina Smith and Sarah Wilson.  The chapter will launch mentorship pods, immersive learning labs, and curated networking events, alongside workshops, strategic partnerships, and collaborations with DSPs and publishers — all designed to educate, empower, and elevate women in the music industry through tangible, action-driven initiatives. Smith serves on the executive board of the Association for Electronic Music, while Wilson leads TuneCore’s operations across the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Nicole Barsalona, president of WiM: “With a dynamic leadership team and a vision for advancing WIM’s mission innovatively, we can’t wait to see what WIM UK accomplishes as they equip and inspire a new generation of global industry leaders.”

ONErpm has named Nuno Rocha as head of business development for Portugal, Lusophone and Francophone Africa, and the MENA region, expanding his role from general manager of Portugal. Rocha will lead strategic growth across emerging markets, including a new office in Luanda and upgraded operations in Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt. He’ll focus on building marketing infrastructure and artist support across these regions. Rocha’s industry experience includes founding DJ Selektion and organizing major festivals like RFM Beach Power. In Egypt, he joins forces with Nayrouz Abouzid to support rising stars like Shahyn and Mond. “Managing and leading the Lusophone, Francophone and MENA regions means embracing multicultural dynamics, building strong and strategic partnerships, and fostering sustainable development,” said Rocha. “Every encounter is an opportunity to pave the way for the future.”

Citrin Cooperman has promoted Elon Altman and Jake DeVries to partner in the firm’s music and entertainment valuation services practice, one of the music industry’s leading copyright economics consultancies. Altman and DeVries will continue reporting to Barry Massarsky, founder of Massarsky Consulting, which Citrin acquired in 2022. A graduate of Cornell University’s applied economics and management program, Altman joined Massarsky Consulting in 2005 where he has spent more than half of his tenure as a senior economist. DeVries is a graduate of Belmont University’s economics and music business program and has contributed to thousands of publishing and recorded music catalog valuations over the decade he has worked with Massarsky and Altman.

Lisa Barringer has joined 360 Business Management as business manager, bringing over 30 years of experience in tax and legal advisory for high-net-worth clients, including multinational corporations and professional athletes. For the past 14 years, she has focused exclusively on athletes and entertainers, advising NBA, NFL, MLB, WNBA, UFC, Olympic clients and emerging NIL talent. Lisa provides guidance on tax issues, audits, entity formation, estate planning and charitable giving, while coordinating with external advisors across areas like family law, immigration, and investments. Her appointment highlights 360’s ongoing growth under founder and managing partner Reggie Gooden, who has built the firm into a leading minority-owned business management company in Los Angeles, known for its holistic approach and a client roster that includes Cedric the Entertainer, Bella Thorne, and Cory Henry.

AXS is expanding its European presence with two key executive hires: Peter Quinlan as managing director of Europe and Hannah Rouch as vp of marketing for Europe … Meanwhile, Belmont University has named industry veteran and licensed clinical social worker Debbie Carroll as executive director of its new Center for Mental Health in Entertainment … Finally, Andrew Del Villar officially became CEO of Del Records this week, completing a leadership transition from his father, Ángel Del Villar, who heads to prison next month.