Columbia Records chairman Don Ienner was named president of Sony Music’s U.S. division on Monday.
Ienner’s new post was announced by Sony Music Chairman and CEO Andrew Lack. In a statement, Lack said Ienner had made Columbia “one of the most powerful and respected labels in the history of popular music.”
Ienner, 51, will oversee all of Sony’s music labels, including Columbia, Epic, Sony Music Nashville and Sony Music Nashville.
Ienner takes over a position left vacant by former Sony Music chairman Tommy Mottola.
Mottola was Sony Music’s chairman, CEO and president until January, when he resigned and was replaced by Lack, who was then NBC’s president.
Instead of assuming the role of president as well as chairman and CEO, Lack named Ienner to the post. Ienner had been chairman of Columbia Records, home to the Dixie Chicks, Destiny’s Child, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and others, for the past 13 years.
Sony, whose market share of album sales dipped slightly in 2002, recently announced plans to lay off 1,000 people worldwide. The music industry itself continues to suffer from declining sales and Internet piracy.
