Universal Music Promotes Bruce Resnikoff to Chairman of UMe Catalog Division, Jamie Krents Named President-CEO

Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), the catalog division of Universal Music Group, is undergoing a major executive transition. Jamie Krents, currently the President and CEO of UMG's Verve Label Group, will assume the additional role of President and CEO of UMe. Meanwhile, Bruce Resnikoff, the longtime leader who founded UMe, moves into the newly created position of Chairman.

Resnikoff, a 40-year company veteran, will now focus on high-level strategic growth. His priorities include expanding estate management services and acquiring rights to artist names, likenesses, and both audio and visual catalogs. He will also continue to advise UMG artists with whom he has built enduring partnerships. Resnikoff's career is deeply intertwined with UMG's history; he started at MCA Records in 1983 and later founded Hip-O Records in 1996, a label dedicated to reissues. Following the landmark 1998 merger of PolyGram and Universal, he was instrumental in establishing UMe, effectively creating the modern blueprint for catalog management in the industry.

Jamie Krents, in his expanded dual role, is charged with driving innovative campaigns by harnessing advanced digital and direct-to-consumer marketing techniques. Krents, a professional bassist who began at Verve as a temp in 1998 and has spent his entire executive career at UMG, is known for an artist-first philosophy. This approach has yielded significant success at Verve, which recently celebrated Grammy wins for artists like Jon Batiste—who took home five awards in 2023—and Samara Joy. Industry observers note that placing Krents in leadership of both a forward-facing label and the legacy catalog division is a deliberate move to create synergy, ensuring historical assets are marketed with contemporary savvy. As one analyst commented, "This structure bridges the gap between nurturing current talent and revitalizing iconic legacies, which is essential for long-term revenue streams."

In a statement, UMG Chairman & CEO Lucian Grainge commended both executives. He described Resnikoff as "the visionary who defined the modern catalog business" and credited him with building UMe into the industry's leading division. Of Krents, Grainge emphasized his "creative ingenuity and artist-centric mindset," expressing confidence in his ability to guide UMe's next chapter. This reorganization underscores UMG's intensified strategy to extract maximum value from its immense historical archives while seamlessly integrating them with modern commercial practices. This focus is increasingly critical as streaming platforms and new media formats open fresh avenues for monetizing the industry's rich past.