a complex organization, and guiding it through a period of profound change in the industry, has required enormous energy and focus, sometimes at the expense of the two most important things in life: family and well-being."
DOWN FROM THE WEA MOUNTAIN
Mount joined the WEA family nine years ago, taking the reins from industry legend Henry Droz. He had formerly been CEO of Live Entertainment. Although no successor is being named, could this possibly pave the way for heavyweight free agent Jim Caparro to come to the Warner Music Group team?
There had been some concern recently among Mount’s close friends about his health. He is said to have a condition affecting the sight in his left eye caused by stress.
Said Mount in the release: "My years at Warner Music Group and WEA have been the most rewarding of my career. The people here are among the hardest-working professionals I've encountered, and I'm proud to call them my friends as well. What success I've had is attributable to them. Running such a complex organization, and guiding it through a period of profound change in the industry, has required enormous energy and focus, sometimes at the expense of the two most important things in life: family and well-being.
"With that thought in mind, I decided earlier this year that I needed to address those concerns. My decision to retire from WEA is the result of that process. I want to express my gratitude to Roger for accepting that decision with grace, and to thank him—and all my friends and colleagues at WEA and Warner Music Group—for their friendship and support during my years at WEA."
WMG Chairman/CEO Roger Ames said of Mount: "Dave's outstanding leadership at WEA for nearly a decade has played a critical role in the Music Group's success. During his tenure, he built on WEA's rich legacy as a distributor, growing WEA into a preeminent distribution, manufacturing and packaging company. All of us at the Music Group who have admired Dave's professionalism, his sense of humor, his commitment to community and his leadership will miss him, and we wish him only the best in retirement."
Mount leaves a tremendous legacy, not least of which is his continuing work with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation alongside wife Sheri. Among their many honors, the well-liked couple was presented with the "Spirit of Liberty" award by the People for the American Way in Oct. 2000 for "outstanding contributions toward freedom of expression and human rights."
