NOISEMAKERS REVISITED:
THE 2018 EDITION
The industry folk showcased here first appeared in our publication as eager young strivers—they’ve since acquired a bit more seasoning and, in many cases, have moved up to positions of greater responsibility. But they still don’t have enough juice to get out of dealing with us.
Lucas Romeo
SVP, Promotion, Republic Records
Having moved up from VP Top 40 to SVP Promotion, Romeo is coming off what he calls “the most unusual and fulfilling campaign” of his career: He was behind the record-setting 18-month climb of Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves,” which hit #1 at Alternative in March of 2021 and Top 40 and Hot AC in January 2022. Also not too shabby: By September of last year, the song—now triple platinum—had amassed more than 1b streams on Spotify. We could write a soliloquy about everything Romeo’s got going on, but we’re sure he’s heard enough Shakespeare jokes to last a lifetime.
Sterling Simms
VP, A&R, Columbia
Since 2016 Simms has gone from Director of Creative at Universal Music Publishing (where he was signed as a songwriter) to VP of A&R at L.A. Reid’s Hitco (Reid signed him as an artist to Def Jam) to Columbia (the land of, among many others, Baby Keem, 24KGoldn, Lil Tjay and Polo G), where he was reunited with label boss Ron Perry, whom he previously worked for at SONGS Music Publishing. To recap, Sterling has been an artist, a songwriter, a publishing exec and an A&R man. We, on the other hand, have spent 35 years making juvenile jokes about radio personnel.
Chloe Snyder
Director of Communications, FaZe Clan
In 2020 Snyder left her position at Donovan Public Relations to move in with her 94-year-old grandmother to help care for her full time during the pandemic. In 2021, she joined FaZe Clan, a lifestyle and media platform rooted in gaming and youth culture that boasts a fanbase of more than 510m. Its roster includes Lil Yachty, Lebron “Bronny” James Jr. and NFL quarterback Kyler Murray. “It’s been a really fun ride working alongside and learning from some of the most brilliant Internet kids in the game,” she says. If only someone talked about us that way.
Jackie Augustus
Strategic Partner Manager, Music, Meta (fka Facebook, Inc.)
Augustus joined Meta as its first Nashville team member in 2021. She’d relocated from L.A. in 2019 as Head of Digital for SB Projects (Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, J Balvin), in which capacity she earned a Clio for Partnerships & Collaborations for her work on Bieber’s New Year’s Eve livestream. Today she’s devising new programs and influencing product development. Recent examples include an immersive Instagram Reels pop-up experience for the launch of Grande’s r.e.m. beauty line. What people experience when we pop up isn’t nearly as much fun.
Caryl Atwood
SVP, Sales and Streaming, Sony Music
By the time Atwood earned her SVP stripes in 2019, she’d already helped propel the careers of Maren Morris, Kane Brown and Luke Combs into the stratosphere. She subsequently worked her magic on Tenille Townes, recipient of a gold record and two ACM Awards, and Mitchell Tenpenny, who in October sold out his first headlining gig at the Ryman. Up next: Nate “I Don’t Wanna Go to Heaven” Smith, Morgan “Wilder Days” Wade and Kameron “Burn ’Em All” Marlowe. “Breaking new artists remains a priority,” says this streaming specialist. We wonder if she could fix us.
Ethan Schiffres
Partner, Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman, Inc.
In May Schiffres will celebrate his 11th year with the storied firm, where he continues to represent Stevie Wonder, multihyphenates Hailee Steinfeld (an Oscar nominee and Peabody winner), Anthony Ramos (a Grammy winner) and Ludwig Göransson (who just needs a Tony Award to EGOT) and Green Day, whose 2021 Dodger Stadium performance as part of the Hella Mega Tour was Schiffres’ first COVID-era show. The father of two under three says he can frequently be found “working from home” at the Sunset Marquis. We prefer the Polo Lounge. Alas, it does not reciprocate.
Elissa Ayadi
SVP, Fan Engagement & Digital Marketing, Warner Records
Ayadi has seen the Warner digital team grow from six to 24 and the addition of in-house creative and influencer functions. The result: TikTok hits (Saweetie’s “Tap In,” Erica Banks’ “Buss It”), YouTube records (Bella Poarch’s “Build a Bitch”), web3 activations (Muse x CryptoKitties, Royal Blood x Roblox) and much more. Meanwhile, she’s executive-sponsoring the Women of Warner, QtheMusic (LGBTQ+) and Fair Game (service-oriented) employee resource groups. “Still here, still queer, still gaming,” says Ayadi, who’s also—unfortunately for her—still on our radar.
Jerry Suarez
Director, Commercial Partnerships (Global), Universal Music Group
Suarez, who assumed his current post in 2010, recently marked his 15th year at UMG. Among his current projects, he’s particularly excited about Rammstein’s eighth studio album, Zeit, due 4/29, assuring, “They never disappoint.” (The band’s untitled seventh studio album reached #1 in 14 countries.) What else is new? Well, Suarez informs, “During the past two years, I managed to live and work remotely in more places and time zones than I thought humanly possible. Anything before that seems like a lifetime ago.” Any time spent with us feels like a lifetime.
