Gibson Brands’ Board of Directors on 7/10 announced the appointment of Cesar Gueikian to president and CEO of Gibson Brands. Gueikian first joined Gibson in 2018; he was upped to Brand President in 2021 and named president and Interim CEO earlier this year.

An avid guitarist with a background in finance, Gueikian is credited with reinvigorating the Nashville-based musical instrument brand by spearheading key strategies including decluttering of the brand’s product line, launching Gibson TV on the brand’s Youtube channel and attracting high-profile guitarists like Kirk Hammett (Metallica), Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains) and Dave Mustaine (Megadeth) to Gibson's roster of artists.

“I have had the opportunity to work closely with Cesar as we have rebuilt Gibson over the past five years,” reads a quote from Gibson Brands Chairman Nat Zilkha. “He has established a remarkable track record at Gibson, shaping our product, our marketing, our artist relationships, and many of our important growth initiatives. In addition, Cesar has an extraordinary personal passion for music, and for Gibson guitars in particular. He is an accomplished leader, a musician, and a self-professed guitar nerd. We are confident that Cesar is the ideal person to serve as Gibson's next CEO and to build on the great momentum we have as a company.”

“Our board of directors, chaired by Nat Zilkha, has been incredibly supportive over the last five years, giving me an opportunity to merge my biggest passion, which is not just music and guitars, but Gibson guitars with my business background, and I don’t take this for granted," goes Gueikian's statement. "The support from our board, team, artists, and fans has been overwhelming and I look forward to continuing the work we started with our leadership team, who always challenge me to be better."

Heavyweight Gibson players including Tommi Iommi (Black Sabbath), Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), Robert Trujillo (Metallica) and Serj Tankian (System of a Down) have all issued enthusiastic messages of support for Gueikian’s appointment.

“I can't think of a more natural fit for CEO of Gibson than Cesar Gueikian. He's one of, if not THE smartest, most passionate Gibson guitar enthusiasts I've ever met, and he is a keen businessman; you can't go wrong,” said Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash.

Rather than make a speech before the board, Gueikian will perform a solo full of hammer-ons and tremolo-bar bends before setting his SG on fire, as is the custom in such corporate transitions.