Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) has promoted Jennifer Knoepfle to Head of U.S. A&R, marking a major leadership shift within the company.
The announcement was made by UMPG Chairman & CEO Jody Gerson on Oct. 22, with Knoepfle reporting directly to Gerson. In her new role, Knoepfle will oversee A&R operations across the U.S., while continuing to hold her position as Executive Vice President of the company.
In this expanded role, Knoepfle is tasked with nurturing UMPG’s creative culture and driving talent development by identifying, signing, and fostering new songwriters, producers, and artists.
Her efforts will extend to legacy artists as well, ensuring that UMPG remains a leader in catalog development and contemporary hitmaking. She will be based at the company’s Santa Monica headquarters.
“I am overjoyed to promote Jenn to this much-deserved position as Head of U.S A&R. She embodies everything a creative music executive should be; she possesses the ear to identify the best artists and writers—often early in their careers—and knows how to support, nurture and amplify their talents. Additionally, she is a thoughtful leader and mentor to our A&R team. I couldn’t be more excited to continue working with Jenn for years to come!”
As part of her expanded duties, Knoepfle has also appointed three executives to key positions within the U.S. A&R team. Daniella Rasho has been promoted to Director of Global A&R, while Deeba Abrishamchi has been named Director of U.S. A&R. Hollie Boston has also joined the company as Director of U.S. A&R.
Knoepfle commented, “Every day, I am humbled to work alongside some of the most revered musical talent in the world. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to expand my role at UMPG, where I have the privilege of working with one of the very best executives in the business, Jody Gerson. I couldn’t be more excited to take on this new chapter, growing our incredible A&R team and working with them to pursue my greatest passion: discovering and nurturing talent, which remains the lifeblood of our industry.”
Knoepfle joined UMPG in 2022 as EVP and Co-Head of U.S. A&R. Since then, she has signed a diverse roster of talent, including notable songwriters and artists like Jack Antonoff, Lord Huron, Maggie Rogers, and Wallows. Prior to UMPG, she spent 13 years at Sony Music Publishing, where she worked with artists such as Leon Bridges, Tate McRae, and Noah Kahan. Earlier in her career, she served as senior director at ASCAP, where she brought major talents like The Killers and Greg Kurstin to the organization.
UMPG continues to build its global presence with 48 offices across 40 countries, representing a vast catalog of iconic songs and hitmakers, with some of the artists represented including Adele, Billie Eilish, Bob Dylan, and The Weeknd.
