The US division of EMI's Virgin Records has appointed Jeffrey Kempler to the new post of Executive Vice President of Business Affairs and Development. The new appointment comes just days after former Warner executive Jason Flom took over the top job at the label, and suggests the new chief executive wants to quickly establish his own way of doing things at Virgin US.
Kempler, who starts his new job with immediate effect, has most recently been a Senior Vice President for Business And Legal Affairs at Atari, but before that spent four years in a similar position at Universal's Island Def Jam Group, and before that worked as a music and entertainment lawyer for Atlanta based law firm Greenberg Traurig. Confirming his appointment, Flom told reporters yesterday: "Jeff is one of the brightest, most respected and well-liked people in the music industry. We're fortunate to have him join Virgin."
Kempler himself added: "I'm delighted to be joining Virgin with Jason Flom: a true record man. Virgin is an iconic brand with a proud history and a bright future. I am very confident that Jason's leadership will further invigorate an already great team and realize its massive potential."