Espo Resigns As WMN Chairman Emeritus

• Four months after stepping down as Chairman & CEO of Warner Music Nashville and assuming the role of Chairman Emeritus, John Esposito surprised more than a few folks on Wednesday when he announced his resignation from that Emeritus role.

As first reported by our friend and former colleague, Billboard‘s Melinda Newman, Espo broke the news in a Wednesday staff email that reads, “It’s that time of year when I head off to Nantucket to relax and reflect. This summer though, I will be reflecting on my next adventures, as I am stepping down as the Chairman Emeritus of Warner Music Nashville today. I’m so proud of what you’re all achieving as a team. I will always be the biggest champion of this team and the artists we signed and developed together. Keep rocking! See you in the fall.”

Esposito gave no reason for his decision. However, when reached by Billboard, he said the change would give him more time to work with the T.J .Martell Foundation for Cancer Research — in March he was named the Chairman of the Board of trustees of the Martell Foundation, which is still recovering after that major embezzlement scandal. “We got the double whammy of the COVID pandemic and somebody being a bad actor,” Esposito said. “I felt qualified with my knowledge of the organization and passion for them to do what I could to help get us back on track.”

Last June, when Esposito’s retirement as WMN CEO & Chairman was initially announced, longtime WMN executives Cris Lacy and Ben Kline were elevated to co-Presidents, and in early January, when Espo transitioned into his Emeritus role, Lacy and Kline were promoted to co-Chairs/co-Presidents.