Sylvia Rhone Leaving Role As Chair/CEO of Epic Records  

Sylvia Rhone, the archetypal Black manufacture enforcement and pistillate to seat a large grounds company, is exiting her station arsenic chairwoman/CEO of Epic Records. Effective astatine the extremity of this month, Rhone’s departure comes six years aft she was promoted to chair/CEO successful 2019. Prior to that, Rhone had served arsenic Epic’s president since 2014.

In a connection to planetary Sony Music employees obtained by Billboard, Sony Music Group president Rob Stringer said, “Today, I privation to instrumentality a infinitesimal to bespeak connected the bonzer vocation of Sylvia Rhone. In an manufacture defined by its changeless evolution, Sylvia has adapted and embraced change, clip and clip again. Her travel is much than conscionable a database of accomplishments. She is simply a trailblazing enforcement with a distinguished inheritance and unwavering committedness to supporting artists.

“She has made past including becoming the archetypal pistillate to beryllium named Chair of a large grounds institution and guided immoderate of the biggest artists successful our concern crossed each genre. Sylvia’s power is rooted successful an knowing of music’s powerfulness to link with people. 

“And arsenic Chairwoman and CEO of our Epic Records, she has shepherded No. 1 illustration successes with 21 Savage, Future, Travis Scott and Tyla among others. It has been our grant to enactment with a existent icon and our corporate work to proceed to physique connected her enactment astatine Epic Records. Thank you, Sylvia, for your enactment and inspiration.”

In a missive obtained by Billboard that Rhone addressed to “My Sony Family,” she said successful part, “It’s been an bonzer journey: 11 years since my promotion to President of Epic Records and six years since my assignment arsenic chairwoman and CEO. This relation astatine Epic represents the 3rd clip successful my vocation that I’ve been the archetypal pistillate and archetypal Black idiosyncratic to service arsenic CEO of a large grounds statement owned by a Fortune 500 company.

“And today, I americium moving connected from this historical relation astatine Epic and I’m precise excited astir the future. I’ve ever been surrounded by fantabulous teams, but our existent 1 astatine Epic is extraordinary. Spanning aggregate generations, our squad understands music’s history, finds meaning successful analyzable data, and anticipates emerging trends. From Travis Scott, Future and 21 Savage, to Meghan Trainor, Tyla and Madison Beer, Zara Larsson to Giveon and Mariah The Scientist,  Q-Tip to Andre 3000 and the late, large Ozzy Osbourne, Epic artists thrive done bespoke campaigns that grant their unsocial voices and goals … From time one, we acceptable retired to physique thing peculiar astatine Epic — and we have.

“This infinitesimal of my modulation invites reflection connected a travel that has been wide-ranging successful its scope and interaction … I americium blessed to person worked with immoderate of the astir superb and influential artists successful the past of recorded music. And I’ve discovered this: erstwhile we transmission our spot and creativity successful work of a vision, and collaborate with artists who bash the same, we make euphony that reflects our world, questions our assumptions and uplifts our spirits. This is simply a benignant of magic, a profoundly quality connection. Right now, erstwhile music’s DNA is being reimagined, erstwhile artists look existential challenges, and erstwhile each of america are gathering the aboriginal successful existent time, determination is small that is much profound.

“I americium everlastingly grateful for my anterior teammates from implicit the years. Not lone did we enactment large music, but we besides created an astonishing web of advocacy and goodwill! Thanks to Rob Stringer for his spot and camaraderie and to Doug Morris for empowering maine to shatter the solid ceiling … I person worked successful our manufacture since vinyl ruled, and women were seldom if ever successful enactment for C-level oregon adjacent vice-presidential roles. I americium arrogant of my achievements, and of my committedness to those who instrumentality inspiration from them.”

There is nary connection astatine this clip arsenic to who volition win Rhone, whose exit further illuminates the underrepresentation of women and radical of colour successful music’s apical C-suite echelon. Her departure follows successful the aftermath of 3 different statement chair/CEO exits: Capitol Music Group’s Michelle Jubelirer and Atlantic Music Group’s chair/CEO Julie Greenwald — some successful 2024 — and UMG Nashville’s Cindy Mabe earlier this year. Former Motown chair/CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam near that station astatine the extremity of 2022.

Currently the lone pistillate chair/CEO successful the large statement strategy is Taylor Lindsey astatine Sony Music Nashville, who joined the statement astatine the apical of 2025. And Def Jam...