Universal Republic & Island Def Jam Appoints Peter Thea to Executive Vice President

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Nov 15, 2011, 11:00 ET

NEW YORK, Nov. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Republic & Island Def Jam, a division of Universal Music Group (UMG), has expanded its management in the A&R area with the appointment of Peter Thea to Executive Vice President. The announcement was made today by Barry Weiss, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the company, and to whom Mr. Thea reports.

Based in New York, Mr. Thea will work closely with Mr. Weiss and the creative staffs of each label group.

"We are fortunate to have one of the music industry's most talented executives working with us in this vital area for our group of labels," stated Mr. Weiss. "Peter's diverse career as a recording engineer, music business attorney and seasoned executive, combined with his long standing relationships in this industry, give him the unique skill set to succeed at this job. I am very happy to be reunited with Peter at UMG."

"I am thrilled to be working with Barry again," adds Mr. Thea. "Barry has energized the company with a vision that fosters a great creative environment for real talent to flourish. I am excited to work with him, Monte Lipman (President & CEO, Universal Republic), Avery Lipman (Co-President & COO, Universal Republic), Karen Kwak (Executive Vice President/Head of A&R, Island Def Jam), Steve Bartels (President & COO, Island Def Jam), their respective teams, and the talent-rich artist rosters at the labels."

As one of the industry's most successful executives, Mr. Thea most recently served as Executive Vice President, Jive Records, where he worked with such chart-topping artists as Britney Spears, R. Kelly, Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown, T-Pain and Usher among many others. He began his tenure at Jive Records in 1999 as Senior Vice President, where he headed the A&R department during the company's most explosive growth period. During this time, he worked with such multiplatinum chart-toppers as *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys.

Prior to joining Jive Records, Mr. Thea was a co-founder of the entertainment law firm Tavel, Thea & Baker. While a practicing lawyer, Mr. Thea's clients included Cash Money Records, Godsmack and Teddy Riley, among many others. He began his career in music as a recording engineer, working with such artists as Aerosmith, The Grateful Dead, Billy Idol, Humble Pie and UFO.

About Universal Music Group

Universal Music Group is the world's leading music company with wholly owned record operations or licensees in 59 territories. Its businesses also include Universal Music Publishing Group, the industry's leading global music publishing operation.

Universal Music Group's record labels include A&M/Octone, Decca, Def Jam Recordings, Deutsche Grammophon, Disa, Emarcy, Fonovisa, Geffen Records, Interscope Records, Island Records, Lost Highway Records, Machete Music, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville, Mercury Records, Polydor Records, Motown, Universal Music Latino, Universal Republic and Verve Music Group as well as a multitude of record labels owned or distributed by its record company subsidiaries around the world. The Universal Music Group owns the most extensive catalog of music in the industry, which includes the last 100 years of the world's most popular artists and their recordings. UMG's catalog is marketed through two distinct divisions, Universal Music Enterprises (in the U.S.) and Universal Strategic Marketing (outside the U.S.). Universal Music Group also includes Global Digital Business, its new media and technologies division; Bravado, its merchandising company; and Twenty-First Artists, its full service management division.

Universal Music Group is a unit of Vivendi, a global media and communications company.

SOURCE Universal Music Group