Capitol Music Group CEO Exits Amidst Broader UMG Restructuring

Photo Credit: Michael Fulton

Capitol Music Group CEO Michelle Jubelirer announces exiting the company amid broader UMG restructuring.Michelle Jubelirer, the chair and CEO of Capitol Music Group, who has been at the company for over a decade, announced Tuesday (February 6) in a memo to staff that she is leaving the company, effective on Wednesday.

Her departure comes amidst significant restructuring at parent company Universal Music Group. The change is the first of what is anticipated to be hundreds of departures in the forthcoming reorganization of UMG, announced by CEO and chairman Lucian Grainge last year and confirmed last month.

“I am deeply saddened that I will no longer be at the company we rebuilt and took to new heights over the past two years,” writes Jubelirer. “I don’t think any label group has been able to turn things around as quickly as we have managed to, and I’m certain that we’ve set Capitol Music Group on course toward a great future.”“In such a competitive and fast-paced world, we gave it our all — every minute of every day — so that our artists could seize the opportunity to realize their dreams and ultimately succeed,” she continues. “I am so fortunate to work in a business that I love and be constantly surrounded by music and the talented people that create it. Every day, I renewed my promise to do my very best for our artists, and they have given me so much in return.”

“No matter where I find myself in this business, I will always approach my relationships with artists as their advocate, their protector, and their fan,” concludes Jubelirer.

Jubelirer is the second female label head to step down from UMG in recent years, following Ethiopia Habtemariam’s departure from Motown nearly two years ago. Julie Greenwald at Atlantic and Sylvia Rhone at Epic are the last two remaining female chiefs of major labels.

Still, Jubelirer’s departure has been rumored for the last few weeks, but the news follows a solid two years of growth under her leadership. Before joining Capitol, she worked as an attorney at Sony Music and King, Holmes, Paterno & Berliner, whose client roster included Pharrell Williams, M.I.A., and Frank Ocean.