NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) – Warner Music Group hinted that more deal-making may be on the horizon as Alfonso Perez-Soto and Michael LoBiondo join the company’s Corporate Development team with new posts.
According to WMG, Alfonso Perez-Soto has been named EVP, Corporate Development, focusing on Recorded Music, and Michael LoBiondo has been appointed SVP, Corporate Development, focusing on Publishing.
Mr. Perez-Soto and Mr. LoBiondo will both report to Michael Ryan Southern, EVP, Chief Corporate Development Officer, who has led the company’s M&A activity globally since August.
Perez-Soto has spent much of the last two decades at Warner Music, and most recently served as the label group’s head of Emerging Markets, with overall responsibility for Africa, Eastern Europe, India and the Middle East.
LoBiondo is a seasoned dealmaker who served most recently as Head of Business Development for Warner Chappell Music, the label group’s music publishing division, a role he has held since 2021.
Following the leadership changes, leaders of Warner Music’s Emerging Markets territories who previously reported to Perez-Soto will now directly report to Simon Robson, President, EMEA, Recorded Music, WMG.
“I’m delighted that Alfonso and Michael have joined our Corporate Development team. They are tenacious and curious leaders with a deep understanding of the music industry and its key players. With these appointments, we now have a strong M&A machine working together to find opportunities for the entire WMG group. We’ve committed to grow WMG through a mixture of organic and M&A activity. Now we’ve got a dedicated dealmaking beacon for each set of rights that’ll enable us to continue to improve our service to artists and songwriters,” stated Michael Ryan Southern.
“I want to thank MRS and Robert for the opportunity to lead this initiative. As proven during my last six years leading Emerging Markets, proper corporate development is an expedited way to achieve growth in revenue; access to catalogs and new rosters; acquire local know-how in territories and music genres; provide artist services; and bring in executive talent. We added human factors to the financial factor, and the idea is to bring that experience to the whole Warner Recorded Music ecosystem so that we push this successful formula on a global basis,” added Alfonso Perez-Soto.
“Guy and Carianne have been tremendous partners and champions of strategic deals that create new opportunities for songwriters. I look forward to continuing this work in service of songwriters with support across the entire organization, and with collaboration of colleagues in recorded music as well,” stated Michael LoBiondo.
