Ryan Barkan appointed Vice President, Creative Synch Licensing
Lila Gerson appointed Senior Director, Brand Partnerships
Warner Bros. Records (WBR) today announced two additional members of its Brand Partnerships & Commercial Licensing team. Ryan Barkan is appointed Vice President of Creative Synch Licensing and Lila Gerson is appointed Senior Director of Brand Partnerships. Both report to Lori Feldman, Executive Vice President of Brand Partnership & Music Licensing.
“A world-class brand partnerships and licensing team is an important part of WBR’s commitment to helping our artists build passionate fan-bases and develop long-term careers. I am delighted to be growing our expertise and resources, as we work with an ever-expanding universe of partners, and collaborate with artists across our roster, to create new and unforgettable music experiences,” said Lori Feldman. “As an artist himself, Ryan has a deep understanding of the creative disciplines as well as how to find the ideal song or artist for the latest advertising projects. Lila is a true innovator, producing unique digital campaigns, physical events and social media strategies, which exceed the expectations of both our artists and brand partners. I am very proud to welcome them both to our talented, insightful and driven team.”
Barkan joins Warner Bros. Records from Primary Wave Music where he spent seven years and rose to Executive Creative Director of Advertising & Video Games. There, he worked on ad campaigns for Nike, Google, Axe, Burger King, Buick, Pontiac, ESPN X-Games, e-Harmony, and J.C. Penney, among others. Additionally, Barkan brought together a collaboration between ad agency Wieden+Kennedy and cult musician Daniel Johnston that resulted in the Space Ducks trans-media project — Johnston’s first ever art+music comic book release and iPad app. The project featured contributions from such artists as Eleanor Friedberger, Deer Tick, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Chris Funk of the Decemberists, tUnE–yArDs, and more.
Gerson joins Warner Bros. Records from Billboard where she was the Executive Director of Business Development & Strategy. Her responsibilities included developing brand partnerships across Billboard’s media platforms, and overseeing talent relations for the brand’s initiatives and events. She launched the first-ever Pepsi/Billboard Summer Beats concert series in 2012 (with live streamed events in NYC, LA, and Nashville), worked on the 2011 and 2012 Billboard Music Awards on ABC, and led the marketing and PR efforts for integrated programs including “Billboard Women in Music” with major sponsors such as Nikon, Target, L’Oreal, Crest 3D White, Cotton and CoverGirl. Gerson also handled many major digital media campaigns for brands, including “Press Pass” with American Express and “Mashup Mondays” with Starburst.
About Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records is one of the most successful recording companies in music history and home to some of the most influential and innovative artists of our time. Its reputation and extraordinary roster of new and established recording artists is unparalleled, and its collective influence on pop culture is without precedent.
With a visionary approach toward discovering and nurturing musical talent, the Warner Bros. Records family of labels is currently home to an impressive generation of major artists. The Warner Bros. roster includes Avenged Sevenfold, The Black Keys, Biffy Clyro, Michael Bublé, Deftones, Jason Derulo, Disturbed, Foals, The Flaming Lips, Goo Goo Dolls, Josh Groban, Iron and Wine, Linkin Park, Mastadon, Muse, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Regina Spektor, Seal, Tegan and Sara, and many others. Up-and-coming artists include Atlas Genius, Birdy, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., JEFF The Brotherhood, Gary Clark Jr., Kimbra, Lianne La Havas, LP, Surfer Blood, and Wavves. The rich and diversified catalog on the Warner Bros. family of labels includes recordings by Black Sabbath, Miles Davis, Dire Straits, the Grateful Dead, the Kinks, Madonna, Randy Newman, Prince, the Ramones, Talking Heads, James Taylor, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Frank Sinatra, Van Morrison, Van Halen and others.
Source: Warner Bros. Records
