Russo Named EVP/CFO At Columbia Records

Stephen Russo has been promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Columbia Records — a notable upgrade from his most recent role as SVP, Finance & Operations/CFO for Columbia Records. Russo will continue to oversee Columbia’s Finance & Operations, Marketing Financial Planning, Release Planning, Touring & Events and Digital Production functions.

Russo (left) reports directly to Rob Stringer, Chief Executive Officer of Sony Music Entertainment, who remarked, “Steve has played an indispensable leadership role in all of Columbia’s financial and operational functions for many years. He possesses a unique vantage point for seeing the big picture and the exceptional ability to strategically navigate today’s diverse marketplace on behalf of the label. Columbia Records joins me in congratulating Steve on this well-deserved promotion.”

Russo has been with Sony Music for 23 years in a number of key financial and operational positions. He joined Columbia Records in 2005 as VP, Finance & Operations and was promoted to SVP, Finance & Operations in 2010. He added the CFO role in 2015. Russo stated, “I’d like to thank Rob Stringer and Kevin Kelleher for their support and leadership, and for extending me the continued privilege of being associated with the most iconic record label in the business. It’s truly an honor to be part of a team responsible for serving our artists and bringing some of the most prolific music recordings in the world to the consumer public. In this dynamic phase of our industry’s lifecycle, I look forward to helping lead strategic initiatives in the next chapter of the Columbia Records story.”