Executive Turntable: Dasha Smith Named COO of CAA, Warner Music MENA Expands Leadership

Creative Artists Agency (CAA) has named Dasha Smith the booking agency’s new chief operating officer on Monday (Oct. 5). She joins the agency from the NFL, where she served as executive vp, chief administrative officer.

“Dasha is a remarkably talented, accomplished and energetic leader with a deep understanding of how global organizations operate at their very best,” CAA co-chairman and CEO, Bryan Lourd, said in a statement. “We look forward to welcoming her to our senior management team and benefiting from her significant experience helping to guide leading media and sports organizations.”

Smith added, “I have tremendous respect for the industry leadership position that CAA and its management team continue to build on every year. Even greater is my appreciation for its widely admired, consistent mission to deliver the best possible service and resources to its clients. Joining a culture with that kind of clarity and purpose is an extraordinary opportunity.”

Smith has previously served as executive vp, global chief human resources officer at Sony Music Entertainment and as managing director, office of the chairman at GCM Grosvenor. — Ariel King

Warner Music Middle East & North Africa Expands Leadership

Warner Music Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has expanded its leadership team, with Ahmed Nureni promoted to managing director, MENA, reporting to Guillermo Gonzalez, president of EMEA, recorded music. Ahmad Alghawanmeh joins as general manager, MENA, reporting to Nureni.

“I’m excited to be stepping into this new role at Warner Music MENA,” Nureni said in a statement. “I’m proud of what we’ve achieved in the region over the last few years, but know there is so much more opportunity for growth and development. With Ahmad joining our team, we are now in the best position to capitalize on these opportunities and become the number one destination for artists across the Arab world.”

Alghawanmeh added, “I’m delighted to join Ahmed and the talented teams across the region at such a pivotal moment for Warner Music and the industry. The Arab world has a rich and dynamic creative culture. By combining WMG’s global resources with our local expertise, we’re well positioned to be an empowering home for Arab artists and a strong partner in driving their commercial and creative growth.” — Ariel King

See more music industry hirings and promotions below.

• Michael McCall (Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum)

  

  Longtime writer, editor and curator Michael McCall is set to retire from his role as associate director of editorial at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum at the end of the year, following more than two decades of service to the museum. His final day with the museum will be Dec. 31.

  He joined the museum in 2006. In his current role, McCall manages the development of written content for the museum’s exhibitions, books, public programs, website, social media and educational materials. McCall has curated or co-curated over 20 museum exhibits, among them the recent Dolly Parton: Journey of a Seeker exhibit and past exhibits including Western Edge: The Roots and Reverberations of Los Angeles Country Rock and Family Tradition: The Williams Family Legacy. He also co-edited the second edition of the museum’s Encyclopedia of Country Music, which was published by Oxford University Press. Additionally, McCall has hosted museum programs, interviewing artists and Country Music Hall of Fame members including Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Charlie Daniels, Reba McEntire and Wynonna Judd. He also wrote exhibition catalogs on Loretta Lynn and McEntire and authored a book on the museum’s archival collection.

  “From the beginning of his tenure, Michael’s impressive journalistic sensibilities helped to establish the museum’s editorial voice,” Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, said in a statement. “He brings broad historical knowledge with an innate ability to not only understand the music and the people behind it, but also place it within the greater cultural context. Before he joined the museum, he was a talented journalist and well respected by artists and musicians alike. We were lucky to have him and grateful for his two decades of service enlightening and educating us all.”

  “Working at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has been the greatest honor of a career that overshot any of my dreams,” McCall added. “After arriving in Nashville, I noticed how the museum excelled at interpreting and contextualizing American roots music and its important role in popular culture. I will forever appreciate the opportunity given to me by Kyle Young, Liz Thiels and Jay Orr to work alongside a talented, committed staff in continuing the museum’s sanctified mission.”

  Prior to joining the museum, McCall served as senior editor for Country Music magazine from 1999 until 2003, and was a regular contributor to the Associated Press, Journal of Country Music, Los Angeles Times, Nashville Scene, Oxford American, People and other publications. From 1984 to 1990, he served as senior music writer for the Nashville Banner. McCall was the recipient of the Charlie Lamb Award for Excellence in Country Music Journalism in 2007. — Jessica Nicholson

• Guy Moot (NMPA)

  Guy Moot, CEO/chairman of Warner Chappell Music,  has been appointed to the National Music Publishers’ Association Board of Directors. Moot says of the appointment that “standing up for songwriters’ rights has never been more critical.” David Israelite, president and CEO of NMPA, adds “The NMPA Board will benefit greatly from his perspective and expertise after over 30 innovative years in the industry,” and that Moot is “one of the most distinguished creative and business minds in music.” — Kristin Robinson

• Kate Guarente-Smith (Splice)

  Splice has named Kate Guarente-Smith the company’s new head of communications.

  “Kate has a track record of building comms programs that bring diverse audiences into the fold, and helping people see what’s possible for them as technology evolves,” Kakul Srivastava, Splice’s CEO, said in a statement. “I experienced this first-hand during our time together at GitHub. As Splice pushes the edges of what’s possible when AI is used to supercharge human creativity — without flattening in — telling our story with the musicians who trust us to put them first is critical.”

  Guarente-Smith added, “I’ve always been drawn to companies that believe cutting-edge technology is an enabler and multiplier for human creativity. In many ways, Splice is the truest embodiment of this ethos: music is both deeply personal and a shared cultural touchstone. When technology is introduced in a way that centers the artist and expands the palate of what’s possible, we all win.”  — Ariel King

• Sebastian Mair (GoDigital Music)

  GoDigital Music is expanding into the Asia-Pacific market, and Sebastian Mair has been named president of APAC. The company also announced a new agreement with AdShare leading the Japanese entertainment company, Pony Canyon.

  “We’re thrilled to have Sebastian join GoDigital Music and lead our efforts across APAC,” Jason Peterson, founder and chairman, said in a statement. “Sebastian brings a deep understanding of the market and strong relationships across the industry. Our partnership with Pony Canyon is a great place to start, and we see a tremendous opportunity to bring the technology, services and expertise we’ve built at GoDigital Music to more artists, labels and rights holders throughout the region.”

  Mair added, “GoDigital Music has built a truly global platform, and I’m excited to join the company at a moment when there is so much opportunity across APAC. The region is home to some of the world’s most influential music companies and catalogs, and I look forward to connecting my local expertise with GoDigital Music’s global reach and infrastructure. Our collaboration with Pony Canyon is just the beginning of the kind of work and long-term partnerships we hope to build.” — Ariel King

• Michelle Romeo (Reliant Talent Agency)

  Michelle Romeo has joined Reliant Talent Agency as corporate agent. She was co-owner of Romeo Entertainment Group, where she holds experience in talent buying.

  “Talent buying and artist representation are very different roles, but they share a common purpose: connecting artists with audiences in meaningful ways,” Romeo said in a statement. “Having spent years working alongside agents to create memorable live experiences, I’m excited to bring a buyer’s perspective to Reliant and help create new opportunities for the artists they represent.” — Ariel King

• Kira Kalstrom & Meghan O’Leary (Triple Threat)

  Meghan O’Leary and Kira Karlstrom announced the launch of Triple Threat Ventures Group, Inc., an agency for artists, creators, athletes and brands. O’Leary will serve as co-founder and president, and Karlstrom as co-founder and chief creative officer.

  “As both an Olympian and sports industry executive, I’ve seen firsthand how much value gets left on the table when talent, brands, and their teams don’t have the right strategy or resources behind them,” O’Leary said in a statement. “Kira and I built Triple Threat to be the partner we wish we’d had throughout our own athletic and corporate careers, combining technology, creativity and commercial expertise to help athletes, creators, and brands think bigger than the next deal or campaign.” — Ariel King

• Dusty Miller (Big Loud Records)

  

  Big Loud Records has named Dusty Miller as president of catalog acquisitions, where he will lead the company’s strategy to source, evaluate and acquire music catalogs and other music-related assets.

  Miller previously served as founder/president of Miller Wealth Sports & Entertainment, and prior to launching his own firm, he spent 13 years with Truist Bank (formerly SunTrust), serving as an advisor specializing in clients across sports and music.

  “This is an exciting day for Big Loud,” Seth England, partner and CEO at Big Loud, said in a statement. “As partners, we have long talked about developing a catalog acquisition component to our business. Dusty has spent many years on the financial side of the music catalog business and has proven to be an expert in his field.”

   “I’m incredibly excited to join Big Loud and help build the next chapter of its catalog acquisition business,” Miller added. “I’m especially grateful to Seth, Craig, and Joey for their trust and for the opportunity to be part of such an entrepreneurial and forward-thinking organization. What they’ve built at Big Loud is incredibly special, and I’m excited to be a part of where it goes from here.” — Jessica Nicholson

• Hirings, Promotions at River House Artists

  

  River House Artists has announced new hires and promotions across three divisions — publishing, records and management — including promoting two staffers and adding six new staffers.

  TC Courtney has been named River House’s new director of A&R, and has had prior career stops at Universal Music Publishing Group, Big Machine Label Group and BMI.

  Alyssa Lawson has joined as manager of digital marketing & artist development, and has prior career stops include MCA and Crowd Surf. Sydney Riley has been promoted to manager, creative services. River House digital & artist development coordinator Lyndsay Kash has transitioned to the company’s publishing arm, now serving as publishing coordinator.

  JJ Garcia has joined as digital and artist development coordinator, while Ian Camaione splits a new role spanning two divisions, as management and A&R coordinator, supporting management and label teams. Meanwhile, Kyle Adams takes on a full-time graphic designer role at River House Artists and Taylor Robinson takes on office manager/executive assistant duties, following roles at CAA and iHeartMedia.

  The company-wide expansion continues River House’s celebration of 10 years in business this year. “I’m so proud of how River House continues to grow and expand,” River House founder Lynn Oliver-Cline said in a statement. “The hard work of our team over the last 10 years has taken us to new heights; we’re so excited to see what this next chapter will bring.” — Jessica Nicholson

• Beggars Group

  Beggars Group has added four new hires to the marketing team with Max Datner, Ariana Mamnoon, Rrita Hashani and Molly McGuffin. Datner joins as director of radio and music discovery, Mamnoon joins as manager of radio and music discovery, Hashani as audience and marketing director and McGuffin as social content producer. — Ariel King

• Marcus T. Paulk (3rd Eye Recordings)

  Marcus T. Paulk, who performed Myles Mitchell on sitcom Moesha, has been joined 3rd Eye Recordings as an A&R executive.

  “Music has always been the baseline of my life and career,” Paulk said in a statement. “Joining 3rd Eye Recordings under the massive umbrella of Universal Music Group allows me to use my lifetime of experience in front of the camera and behind the scenes to cultivate true artistry. We aren’t chasing temporary internet trends here; we are engineering, amplifying, and elevating timeless artists who possess real identity, longevity, and cultural authority.” — Ariel King

• Richard King (Music Publisher’s Association

  Richard King has been appointed to the U.K. Music Publishers Association’s board as chair. King is CEO of Faber Music and succeeds Paullette Long OBE as chair, who will remain on as board director.

  “I’m looking forward to building on the great work of Paulette and the MPA executive team, particularly by using my experience as a music publisher to further amplify our sector’s voice on the issues that matter most to members,” King said in a statement. — Ariel King