Atlantic Records Ups John McMann and Jon Lewis to Executive VPs of Promotion

Jem Aswad
·2 min read

Atlantic Records has promoted company veterans John McMann and Jon Lewis to executive vice presidents: McMann of pop and rhythmic promotion, and Lewis of pop promotion. The move was announced by label promotion president Andrea Ganis (and all three were Variety Hitmakers honorees last month).

The pair have been with the company literally for decades: McMann (pictured above, left) for 20 years and Lewis (above, right) for 26 years, ten of which were spent at Atlantic sister label Elektra.

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“Outstanding promotion veterans with extraordinary knowledge of the formats, they are both exemplary executives and best of all, fabulous strategists,” Ganis said when announcing the promotions. “Unafraid to take risks, they continually work to crack the crazy code known as promotion. Year after year they have delivered our records at the pop and rhythmic formats — the most competitive charts imaginable, and done it with integrity, teamwork and style. They are outstanding teammates, constantly complementing each other, and great role models for our staff–I could not be prouder to be the bearer of such terrific news.”

After an early career in radio, including stops at Kiss 108 in Boston and Q102 in Philadelphia, McMann moved to the label side, joining Jive Records in 1994. There, he joined the late ‘90s pop boom just as it was beginning, working records by Britney Spears, Backstreet Boy and ‘NSync’s record-breaking “No Strings Attached.” In 2000 he joined Atlantic as VP of rhythmic promotion and, as noted by Variety in 2002, was subsequently elevated to senior VP of pop & rhythmic promotion.

Lewis began his career in 1995 at Elektra Records as the assistant to then-SVP of promotion Greg Thompson. He worked as a regional promotion rep in Detroit and Miami from 1997-2001, then returned to New York to become VP of top 40 promotion for Elektra — helping to break records by Third Eye Blind, Missy Elliott, and Staind ‚ where he remained until the company merged with Atlantic in 2004.

Among many others, in recent years the pair have worked on the teams that broke records by Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, Cardi B, Coldplay, Lizzo, Roddy Rich, Charlie Puth, and Ava Max.

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