Recording Academy Creates New Roles, Names Branden Chapman COO, Ruby Marchand Chief Industry Officer
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For years many observers have said that the Recording Academy president/CEO role was too big for a single person, and the organization on Friday announced the creation of two key senior leadership positions — chief operating officer and chief industry officer — amid a larger staff reorganization.
According to the announcement, key features of the reorganization are the streamlining of most of the Academy’s staff into three divisions: the Entertainment / Consumer Division, led by Branden Chapman, the Academy’s new chief operating officer, and the Trade / Industry Division, led by Ruby Marchand, who joins the organization as its new chief industry officer and the Organization / Cross Verticals Division. Additionally, Rex Supa has been promoted to vice president of production & business development and will report to Chapman.
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“One of my goals as the interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy is to evolve our organization and structure to be more efficient and responsive. These changes set a foundation for success as we prepare for the dynamic future of our industry,” said Harvey Mason jr., Recording Academy Interim president/CEO. “This new structure further accelerates our broader transformation, strengthens our high-performance culture and enables our teams to better serve members.”
Chapman and Marchand will both report to Mason, as will the Academy’s CFO, chief diversity & inclusion officer, chief people & culture officer, chief advocacy officer, and the executive director of MusiCares, the Academy’s philanthropic arm.
As COO, Chapman will lead the Entertainment / Consumer Division, which will include Partnerships & Business Development, Communications, Digital Media, Marketing & Branding, Production, and Talent Relations. “I am honored to be entrusted with this new role as COO, and excited to be leading a new division that will enable us to combine the efforts of so many of my talented colleagues,” Chapman said.
As chief industry officer, Marchand, a former Warner Music executive and a past Academy vice chair, will be responsible for both Membership & Industry Relations and Awards. “I believe this new structure offers tremendous benefits for the music world, and I look forward to working with Harvey and the Academy’s leadership to continue making progress on this timely transformation,” she said.
As vice president of production & business development, Supa will take over many of Chapman’s previous responsibilities, including oversight of telecast logistics, events, financial management, creative development, ticketing, credentialing, venue relations, and municipal relations. He previously served as senior managing director, production & business development.
The new overall org chart can be found here. The changes take effect Aug. 1.
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