Mike Chester Upped To GM, Warner Records
• Mike Chester has been promoted to General Manager of Warner Records. In his newly expanded role, Chester, who most recently served as EVP of Promotion & Commerce, will add Marketing, Digital Marketing, Artist Development, and Viral Marketing to his purview in addition to continuing to oversee Promotion and Commerce. Chester is based at the company’s downtown LA headquarters and reports to Co-Chairman & COO Tom Corson, and will work closely with Corson and CEO & Co-Chairman Aaron Bay-Schuck in setting company goals and artist release strategies.
In a joint statement, Corson and Bay-Schuck said, “Mike has played a key role in the successful revitalization of Warner Records since he joined the label in 2018. He is perfectly poised to take on the General Manager duties as we continue our push to the top. He possesses extraordinary leadership qualities, has excellent artist relations skills, and knows how to balance all with confidence, compassion, and integrity. He is an invaluable member of our senior management team and we know he will continue to thrive and innovate in his new role.”
“I’m thrilled to take this next step in my career under the incredible leadership of Tom and Aaron,” said Chester. “The team here at Warner is phenomenal, and our artist roster — from emerging talent to superstars — is second to none. We pride ourselves on being the premiere artist development label, and we constantly discover new avenues in which to bring even more music to fans. I’m excited to continue promoting, innovating, and building careers in this dynamic and rapidly expanding musical environment.”
Chester came to Warner Records from Scooter Braun‘s SB Projects, where he served for four years as SVP, Marketing and Promotion. He previously spent over a decade at Def Jam Recordings, rising to VP of Promotion. Chester began his label career at Arista Records, moving to Atlantic Records before joining Island Def Jam in 2004. [Photo Credit: Jonathan Weiner]
