IB on Ienner deal

DONNIE’S BACK IN BUSINESS: While he develops his plan for EMI, UMG ruler Lucian Grainge continues to build his stable of experienced executives, as former Sony Music chieftain Don Ienner arrives wrapped in a consultancy deal. Before he left Sony, UMG East Coast topper Barry Weiss signed the Ienner-managed Hot Chelle Rae, whose “Tonight, Tonight” was a Top 40 smash. Ienner joins fellow former major-label heads Tom Whalley and Jason Flom, both of whom are currently operating within Monte Lipman’s Universal Republic. Flom—who is having a major success in the U.K. with Jessie J and has sold nearly 1.5m of her “Price Tag” single in the U.S.—has a history at EMI, having signed and developed Katy Perry. This could conceivably make him a candidate for some involvement with the retooled company. And Whalley, who spent several years at Interscope and the rock-centric Warner Bros. Records, is believed to already be looking for a bigger palate to paint with. (12/1a)