ATLANTIC WILL TAP
TWO FOR PRESIDENT
A WMG spokesperson would not confirm the promotions, but acknowledged the move will take place within the next week to 10 days.
The label presidency has been vacant since Azzoli was upped to his current post as Co-Chairman/Co-CEO. Shapiro was Executive VP/GM and Kallman was Executive VP/Office of the Chairman for the label. Andrea Ganis is the label's third Executive VP.
The promotions had been expected for awhile and come at a time when the label is reportedly also negotiating to buy out its joint venture with Lava Records, which will result in an impressive payday for the imprint's President Jason Flom, who is expected to stay with the company. Lava has been the home of such hit acts as Kid Rock, Sugar Ray, Edwin McCain, Trans Siberian Orchestra, Uncle Kracker and matchbox twenty.
Shapiro's industry career began with indie publicist Sarah McMullen assisting on Elton John's 1985 North American tour before he moved on to corporate PR gigs at BMI, MCA and Atlantic, where Danny Goldberg groomed him as GM of the label's West Coast office in the early '90s. Shapiro moved to New York to become GM of Atlantic Records in '95 before being upped to Exec. VP/GM in Oct. '97. He has been instrumental in making Jewel an international superstar. Shapiro was heavily recruited by L.A. Reid's Arista Records in May 2000 before deciding to remain with Atlantic.
Kallman originally founded the Big Beat label in the 80s before selling it to Atlantic, where he became Exec. VP/Office of the Chairman and a top-level A&R exec. He started out at the label as Assistant to the President. Among the acts he's credited with bringing to the label and helping establish are Brandy and Craig David.
