Universal Republic Records executive vice president to speak Oct. 6

Joel Klaiman, executive vice president of promotion and artist development at Universal Republic, a division of Universal Music Group, will present a lecture on Thursday, Oct. 6, at 6:45 p.m. in the Lender Auditorium, located on the concourse level of the Martin J. Whitman School of Management. The lecture is part of the Bandier Program’s Soyars Leadership Lecture Series in the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ (VPA) Rose, Jules R. and Stanford S. Setnor School of Music. It is open to the University community. 

Most notably, Klaiman is responsible for the overall strategic promotion of multiple Grammy-winning, platinum and gold artists, including Amy Winehouse, Colbie Caillat, Tori Amos, Hinder, 3 Doors Down, Godsmack, Jack Johnson, Damian Marley, Chamillionaire and Owl City, as well as the mainstream radio and video promotion of country superstar Taylor Swift.  

Klaiman’s successes include helping launch Winehouse and Caillat in 2007, that year’s two most successful radio and digital artists; helming the radio promotion partnership between No. 1 country label Big Machine Records and Universal Republic to bring mainstream radio success to Swift in 2008; and, in 2009, working to break out two new artists who went on to achieve No. 1 hits under Universal Republic: Owl City with “Fireflies” and Cash Money’s first non-hip hop mainstream success, UK singer/songwriter Jay Sean, with “Down.” “Fireflies” took over the No. 1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 immediately after “Down,” making the two debut singles the only back-to-back No. 1 hits from new artists via the same label in 2009. 

Klaiman’s 2009 success was commended by SIN (Street Information Network), which awarded him the 2009 Promotion Excellence Award, and FMQB (Friday Morning Quarterback), which named him Executive of the Year. 

For more information about the lecture, contact David Rezak, director of the Bandier Program, at (315) 443-3280 or dmrezak@syr.edu.