Executive Enhancement At HEY NOW
• HEY NOW Records, which launched in March as a partnership between veteran talent manager Clint Higham, former longtime Warner Music Nashville Chairman John Esposito, former Big Machine Records EVP/GM Kris Lamb and Country superstar Kenny Chesney, bolsters its executive ranks with the introduction of its new Business & Commerce team — (l-r): Danny Bess joins as SVP of Finance & Operations, Rachel Brown is aboard as Manager of Operations, and Troy Scott is the newly named VP of Commerce & Consumer Products.
Danny Bess returns to a label from his independent firm DFB Consulting. Bess earlier spent seven years as CFO at Warner Music Nashville and 25 years as the VP of Finance at UMG Nashville. A Vanderbilt graduate with an MBA from Tulane’s A.B. Freeman School of Business, Bess began his career at RCA Records/BMG.
Rachel Brown has an extensive background in project management, marketing and merchandising, having spent several years at Aroluxe Marketing. With a Pepperdine MBA, Brown’s skills were honed in the fashion space, supporting product strategy and merchandising initiatives for Kendra Scott jewelry.
Troy Scott started his career managing operations and marketing campaigns for BMG artists across the DC, Philadelphia and Boston before joining Universal Music Group in New York as Sales Account Director. After a stint as Sales Manager at Alpha Media in Richmond, VA, Scott joined UMG Nashville in 2014 as Director of Commercial Development, ultimately rising to Sr. Director of E-Commerce & Retail.
“As the label expands its reach, it’s critical to have systems in place to support the work being done by the various teams,” said Lamb, President & Co-Founder of HEY NOW Records. “To be able to engage executive talent that includes Danny Bess and Rachel Brown on the business side, and Troy Scott for commerce and consumer products, we’re going to be able to move twice as fast, knowing our needs will be supported by a strong foundation.”
After locking out the entire reporting Country radio panel with Kenny Chesney’s “Carry On” in its first week — only the third time in chart history and first time an independent label has managed the feat — HEY NOW Records is building a future based on artist-first delivery from the moment the music is delivered until long after a project has run its cycle. [Photos Courtesy of HEY NOW Records]
