GLAZIER, BALLANTYNE BEGIN “NEW ERA” IN RIAA LEADERSHIP

Mitch Glazier’s first day as the incoming Chairman/CEO of the RIAA is today. The line of succession from Cary Sherman to Glazier was first announced in April 2017. The org also has a brand-new COO—Michele Ballantyne, as the two appointees represent what’s heralded in the announcement as “new leadership for a new era” in the music biz.

“Music matters,” Glazier asserted in his official quote. “It shapes our culture. It inspires generations young and young at heart. It makes us who we are and binds diverse communities together. I am honored to lead the RIAA during these exciting times as we fight for a music ecosystem that works for everybody—from artists and fans to labels and publishers and songwriters and music services alike. That will require that we both embrace digital music innovations, and protect what has always made music great—keeping the dream alive for the next generation of artists and music creators.”

Glazier hailed Ballantyne as “a champion for music—a steady hand known for her knowledge of government, her sound judgment, unmatched policy chops and unflappable determination to develop winning public-policy campaigns. Simply put, there is no one better suited to help lead the RIAA and no one I would rather have at my side than Michele.”

“I’m excited to be part of this new leadership team at such an incredibly dynamic and important time,” said Ballantyne. “By staying true to music and its creators even as we embrace change, we can help the men and women of the music industry achieve great things. I look forward to advocating on behalf of our great community.”

As a senior House Judiciary Committee staffer, Glazier helped pass pioneering legislation that paved the way for the streaming economy, including helping author the Digital Performance Right in Sound Recordings Act. Known as a consensus-builder who maintains relationships across the music community and on both sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill, Glazier helped build the coalition that mobilized to enact the Music Modernization Act last fall.

Ballantyne also has a background in government in roles including Special Assistant to President Bill Clinton, Special Counsel to then-White House Chief of Staff John Podesta, and General Counsel for Senator Tom Daschle. She has prioritized the updating of intellectual-property laws for the digital age, advocating for congressional reforms, including the MMA and the PRO-IP Act, which established the nation’s first Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator in the Executive Office of the President.