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Roadrunner President stands down
By CMU Editorial | Published on Thursday 15 November 2012
The President of Warner’s metal division Roadrunner, Jonas Nachsin, has stepped down, somewhat suddenly, after two decades with the label and twelve years in the President role.
It’s the latest upheaval at the rock label, which has been a wholly owned Warner Music subsidiary since 2010. In April, the company’s founder Cees Wessels departed, also somewhat suddenly, and the division’s non-US operations were greatly downsized, leading to about 36 job losses worldwide, and a greater reliance on Warner’s international infrastructure to market and distribute Roadrunner releases outside of America.
When Wessels and the 36 other international Roadrunner execs, many of whom had been with the label for many years, were laid off in April, it was the continued presence of Nachsin that assured continuity at the rock label, and continued credibility in the metal community in A&R terms. Which makes his departure now all the more significant, and his replacement will face a challenge convincing artists and fans that Warner is genuine when it says that it remains committed to preserving the Roadrunner brand and the label’s hard rock remit.
Confirming his departure in a memo to staff, seen by Billboard, Nachsin wrote: “I am so proud of what we have accomplished to showcase Roadrunner as not only a ‘record company’ but as a lifestyle and cultural beacon for fans around the globe. The chemistry of groundbreaking artists worked by a world-class group of truly committed employees has made Roadrunner a name with no equal over the years. That will continue”.
Meanwhile Atlantic US co-chairs, Craig Kallman and Julie Greenwald, who oversee the Roadrunner label, said in a joint statement to staff: “For two decades, Jonas has been a passionate champion of Roadrunner’s incredible roster of artists and helped forge the unique identity of one of the world’s great labels. Everyone who has worked with Jonas – including artists, managers, the Roadrunner team and the wider Warner Music family – have all been touched by his commitment and leadership. He has been instrumental in the careers of so many extraordinary artists, from superstars including Nickelback and Slipknot to breaking talents Young the Giant and Stone Sour. We will all miss Jonas and wish him the best in his next endeavour”.
