“I‘ve had the honor to work with Mike during our tenure at Sony Music,” Walk notes in the press release, “and when it comes to alternative artist development and promotion, there is no one more strategic. Mike's ability to fully integrate into all areas of the company will allow us to achieve extraordinary success in a timely fashion.”

DePippa’s official statement begins with the requisite expression of gratitude to the Lipman brothers and Walk for the opportunity to work records from Republic and David Massey’s Island. “I’ve always admired the entrepreneurial spirit that Republic promotes. It really fosters the perfect environment to introduce talent into the marketplace and build careers. That prospect drives me. Charlie and I have a long history, and he’s a dynamic high-energy leader who I wanted to work for again.”

The new guy will spearhead promotion and development for the Rock, Alternative, and AAA formats, working on releases from acts including Pearl Jam, Black Sabbath,Florence + the Machine, Of Monsters and Men and James Bay, as well as Island’sFall Out Boy, The Killers, Brandon Flowers, Incubus and others.

Mike is a proud Pirate, having graduated from Seton Hall in 1995.