Sexton Joins UMG

SEXTON THE CITY: Veteran marketing exec Cynthia Sexton has been appointed EVP, Branding and Licensing for Universal Republic Records and Island Def Jam Music Group by COO Ivan Gavin, based in UMG’s Santa Monica offices. Sexton will seek to diversify and pursue non-traditional revenue streams for the labels and their artists, working closely with heads Monte Lipman and Steve Bartels. She will be responsible for seeking out partnerships with consumer brands as well as opportunities in film and television music licensing. Most recently head of Sexton, her own boutique branding and licensing agency for brand clients, Cynthia served as EVP, Global Brand Partnerships, Licensing and Synchronization for EMI Music, overseeing partnership efforts with consumer brands, including Nissan, Apple, Diet Coke, L’Oreal, Target, Ford, Royal Caribbean, General Motors, Logitech UE and Sauza Tequila. She also led efforts to establish EMI’s mobile and video game business, working closely with Ubisoft, Electronic Arts (EA), Activision and others. She was instrumental in delivering the groundbreaking video game, The Beatles: Rock Band, with partner Harmonix Music Systems. She first joined Virgin Records and Publishing in 1988 as Head of Business Affairs, where she ran up enormous costs in candles and flowers. (4/23p)