PSST… ON THE QT, Q’S BACK

While many veteran executives are sitting on the bench due to a thin job market, former Warner Bros. Records Inc. President Phil Quartararo is making a quick re-entry. The well-liked exec will imminently be named to a high-level position at EMI Recorded Music North America.

Quartararo is being brought in as Executive VP by EMI Recorded Music N.A. Chairman/CEO David Munns, to whom he will report. Q’s arrival comes at a time when both EMI N.A. label heads are on a roll, as Capitol chief Andy Slater enjoys early success with his signing The Vines, while Virgin head Matt Serletic oversees the breakthrough of Blue Note/Virgin artist Norah Jones.

Quartararo was credited with steering and helping to right the Warner/Reprise ship, which has seen more than its share of stormy seas in recent years, including the February 2001 departure of venerable Chairman Russ Thyret, who brought Quartararo to the Bunny in November 1997. Q held the WB Inc. presidency for four-and-a-half years. In 2001 alone, he oversaw the breaking of Linkin Park, the rejuvenation of Enya and, with David Foster, the signing of Josh Groban.

While at Warners, Quartararo was also responsible for the rebuilding of two respected promotion departments: that of Warner Bros., headed by Tom "Grover" Biery, and Reprise, headed by Phil Costello.

Prior to WB, Q teamed with Jeff Ayeroff and Jordan Harris to launch Virgin Records America in 1986, eventually taking the post of President/CEO and running the label for four years. In 1992, Richard Branson sold Virgin’s worldwide operations to EMI for close to $1 billion, so in a sense this move marks Q’s return to his old stomping grounds.

Before Virgin, he was VP Promotion at Island Records after holding promotion posts at RCA, A&M and Arista.

Over the years, Q has worked with such artists as Smashing Pumpkins, Janet Jackson, the Rolling Stones, Lenny Kravitz, Goo Goo Dolls, Red Hot Chili Peppers and many others.