NASHVILLE, TN (CelebrityAccess) – Universal Music Group Nashville (UMGN) has named Lori Christian and Rob Femia to its executive board. In addition, Christian has been promoted to Vice President of Marketing, and Fema has been appointed Executive VP of Business and Legal Affairs for the label group – which includes Capitol Records Nashville, EMI Records Nashville, Mercury Nashville, and MCA Nashville.
For the label’s roster, Christian will oversee the Artist Development, Brands & Sponsorship, Creative Services, International Marketing and Media Marketing departments. Christian rose to Senior Vice President of Marketing 3years ago after leading UMGN’s publicity department since the 2012 merger of EMI and UMG.
She’s been crucial in crafting messaging and defining narratives for UMGN artists. She has overseen the launches of projects from Alan Jackson, Chris Stapleton, Darius Rucker, Luke Bryan, and Carrie Underwood, among others. She’s also had a hand in developing artists and their careers, notably Brothers Osborne, Jordan Davis, Sam Hunt, and Jon Pardi. She’s also had a hand in advancing the careers of Mickey Guyton, Sam Williams, Tyler Hubbard, and more.
“Lori’s understanding of storytelling and weaving our artist’s narratives into framing their stories has been a critical element of UMG Nashville’s success,” says Cindy Mabe, UMGN Chair and CEO. “Artist development is such a defining feature that separates our artists, especially in a world where everyone is looking for immediate gratification. Having Lori in this leadership role to help drive the key tenants of artist development across all of UMG Nashville is going to change our artist growth strategy. I am so excited to see how Lori leads and guides a new era in artist marketing across UMGN.”
Femia has over 15 years of experience practicing entertainment law and extensive industry knowledge and has fostered relationships with artists and their management teams. He joined UMGN in 2013 as Head of Business and Legal Affairs and was elevated to SVP in 2018. He has earned the role of EVP as he leads the Business and Legal Affairs department. He is a graduate of Rutgers Law School with prior work at Sony, BMG, Virgin Records/Capitol Music/EMI Music North America and Atlantic Records.
“It’s an honor to expand Rob’s leadership abilities beyond his vast business and legal knowledge,” expresses Mabe. “Rob has had a front seat in dealmaking for a while, but as we expand the new goals of UMG Nashville, Rob is helping to write and build the next era of country music business. With the industry changing so rapidly, Rob is an essential partner to our future as Universal Music Group Nashville and his alignment and guidance of our staff and artists is critical to our success. It’s an honor to watch Rob shine and lead our company, and I am thrilled to have him join our executive team.”
