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Randy Phillips out as AEG Live management rejigged
By Chris Cooke | Published on Tuesday 26 November 2013
Live giant AEG has announced a rejig of its concert division which sees the departure of Randy Phillips, one of the company’s highest profile executives, and the man most closely linked to the firm’s ill-fated alliance with Michael Jackson for the ‘This Is It’ venture, and a stand-out (if not overly sympathetic) witness in the recent court battle between the Jackson family and the promoter.
The rejig will mainly impact the US side of AEG Live, the touring and festivals division of the wider Anschutz Entertainment Group. Jay Marciano, COO of the AEG parent company, will become Chairman of AEG Live and will have a more hands-on role in running the division.
Reporting in to him will be Paul Tollett, who remains President of the Coachella-producing Goldenvoice unit; John Meglen as President Of Global Touring; and Shawn Trell who becomes COO of AEG Live. Trell basically replaces Thomas Miserendino, who recently moved within the business to become CEO of AEG Europe.
Although he did divide opinion within the wider industry, Phillips has often been credited with successfully building up AEG’s touring operation, making it the second biggest concert business worldwide after Live Nation. And while Michael Jackson’s sudden death in 2009 left AEG Live with multi-million dollar bills for a show that now couldn’t proceed, it’s generally assumed the firm recovered most of its losses through its involvement in the ‘This Is It’ movie Phillips managed to cobble together from rehearsal footage.
Early last year the exec signed another five-year contract to stay on as President of AEG Live, so it’s not clear why he’s now stepping down. AEG’s announcement yesterday provided no insight – no mention of the exec “retiring” or “moving on to pursue entrepreneurial ambitions” – and Phillips himself is yet to comment. Though it could be a logical conclusion of the surprise departure of Tim Leiweke, overall CEO of AEG, back in March after Anschutz Inc decided to call off the sale of its entertainment company.
