HOWARD GABRIEL NAMED EVP, MARKETING FOR WARNER BROS. RECORDS

09 September 2014 - Press release

Veteran Executive Joins Label’s Senior Management Team

 Warner Bros. Records (WBR) today announced the appointment of Howard Gabriel as Executive Vice President, Marketing. In this role, Gabriel will lead and oversee the company’s marketing initiatives, while also helping drive long-term strategy as a member of WBR’s senior management team. Gabriel comes to the company following two decades with RED, the independent music distribution and marketing company, where he was most recently Senior Vice President, Label Management. He will relocate from New York to WBR’s headquarters in Burbank, where he reports directly to Cameron Strang, Chairman & CEO, Warner Bros. Records.

“I've known Howie for many years, and I’m a great admirer of his artist-driven approach to marketing and long-term development," said Cameron Strang. "He brings a real fan’s enthusiasm to his work, and his tremendous creativity, entrepreneurial drive, and approachable leadership style make him a perfect fit with our mission to be the most nurturing home for the best talent. I'm thrilled to be working with him again and join everyone at WBR in welcoming him to the team.”

“It’s an honor to join such a legendary label at such an exciting time in its history,” said Howard Gabriel. “It’s always been my view that the role of marketing is to support A&R, to use every avenue possible to expose and develop artists, and to help them realize their dreams and visions. The level of talent at Warner Bros. – within the executive team and across its artist roster – is phenomenal, and I thank Cameron for the opportunity to contribute to this label’s ongoing renaissance.”

Early in his career, Gabriel worked for the noted sister blues labels Yazoo and Blue Goose. While at the latter, he did publicity and bookings for a variety of artists, including legendary cartoonist R. Crumb. Gabriel later served as Vice President of Marketing for both Relativity and Important Records, which evolved into RED Distribution, becoming part of Sony Music Entertainment in 1993. Among his posts at RED was SVP/GM of Red Ink, the company’s in-house Marketing and Label Services arm, followed by his most recent position as Senior Vice President, Label Management.