A pair of prominent marketing executives from Universal Music are headed to a rival. Warner Bros. Records announced on Thursday that it has hired longtime Def Jam exec Chris Atlas to be senior vice president/head of urban marketing, and Interscope's Mark Flaherty as svp/head of marketing at the Warner Music imprint. Both will be based at WBR's offices in Burbank, Calif., reporting to executive vp/general manager Larry Mattera.
"Chris and Mark have a wealth of experience creating bold and original marketing campaigns that excite global audiences and help build long careers for artists," said Mattera. "They are both inspiring leaders who will strengthen our expertise around specific genres of music, at a time when our approach to artist development must be more inventive and fan-focused than ever before."
Atlas arrives at Warner after nearly a decade with Def Jam Recordings. He joined in 2008 as svp of marketing and in 2014 swapped "senior" for "executive," playing an integral role in the creation, development, and execution of marketing strategies on behalf of Def Jam artists, including Kanye West, Rick Ross and Alessia Cara. Prior to DJR, Atlas spent seven years at Cornerstone Promotion, where he rose to vp of strategic marketing. The City College grad got his start in the music business at Tommy Boy Records, where he launched the Tommy Boy Black Label and managed urban music promotions.
Flaherty was most recently svp/head of marketing at Interscope, where he was instrumental in marketing efforts for the label's heavy hitters, including Imagine Dragons, Maroon 5 and OneRepublic, among others. Prior to joining Interscope in 2012, Flaherty held various marketing roles across Sony Music, beginning at RCA before moving to Jive and later Epic. As a songwriter and publisher, Flaherty's music has been heard on Dawson's Creek, NBC's Today and others.
Flaherty said that he's thrilled to join the WBR family "in these ever-evolving times. I feel privileged to have an opportunity to contribute to the next phase of WBR’s legendary success."
"Warner Bros. has a deep commitment to urban music and I am thrilled to join the team and drive their urban marketing strategy," added Atlas. "WBR is such an iconic company, yet their approach to urban music is very nimble and forward-thinking. I can’t wait to start working with their amazing roster of artists and passionate marketing team."