Leadership Music Announces 46 Industry Leaders For The Class of 2026

Leadership Music has named 46 distinguished music industry professionals from across the nation to its Class of 2026. The eight-month program begins in October and offers an immersive exploration of the music business, fostering cross-sector understanding and long-lasting professional relationships.

The incoming members of the Class of 2026 are:

1. Charles Alexander, Founder/CEO, ViNIL & Launcher Music

2. Brendon Anthony, Vice President, Big Loud Texas (Austin, TX)

3. Aftyn Behn, State Representative, Tennessee General Assembly

4. Ben Carter, VP, Live Events & Production, Academy of Country Music

5. Thomas Clees, SVP, Federal Public Policy, RIAA (Washington, DC)

6. Brent Daughrity, National Dir. Music Entertainment, Gallagher

7. Sarah D'Hilly, Music Business Partnerships, Apple Music

8. Stevie Escoto, Senior Managing Director, Girlilla Marketing

9. Michael Farris, Sr. Director, Business Strategy and Insights, Country Music Association

10. Kerri Fox-Metoyer, Head of Entertainment Services, Gabb

11. Anna Frick, Mastering & Restoration Engineer, Ally Sound (Niwot, Colorado)

12. Eboni Funderburk, Founder & CEO, EFG Promotions & Consulting

13. Alex Hall, Singer/Songwriter, Blue Harbor Publishing

14. Mathias John, Principal Designer, The Intellectual Phase Design Group

15. Ashley Joyce, SVP, Legal & Business Affairs, National Music Publishers' Association (Washington, DC)

16. Joe Keeley, Principal, Keeley Law and Policy (Washington, DC)

17. Lauren Kilgore, SVP, Legal and Business Affairs, Sony Music Nashville

18. Sam Kling, Chief Creative Officer, SESAC Performing Rights (Santa Monica, CA)

19. Anna Kolander, Senior Artist Manager/Head of A&R, Activist Artists Management

20. Lee Krabel, Senior Vice President, SMACKSongs

21. Betsy Lamb, Contractor, Nashville String Machine

22. Michelle Lewis, CEO, Songwriters of North America (SONA)/The SONA Foundation (Encino, CA)

23. Wayne Linder, Chief Sales Officer, Pioneer Coach

24. Sloane Logue, Partner - Head of Client Strategy, WME

25. Zebb Luster, Executive Vice President & Artist Manager, River House Artists

26. Fount Lynch, SVP, Publicity, Warner Music Nashville

27. Xenia Manning, Director of Global Music Policy, Spotify (Washington, DC)

28. Rick Marshall, General Counsel, The MLC

29. Maynard, EVP Programming, iHeartMedia

30. Marne McLyman, Manager, Maverick Nashville

31. Rev. Moose, Managing Partner/Co-Founder, Marauder (New York, NY)

32. Kiely Mosiman, Agent, Wasserman Music

33. Katie Neal, Host of Katie & Company, Audacy

34. Mallory Pascal, Partner/Business Manager, KBFM, LLC

35. Jason Plum, Relationship Manager & Vice President, City National Bank

36. Keyana Pusey, VP and Assistant General Counsel for Intellectual Property, National Association of Broadcasters (Washington, DC)

37. Shawn Radley, Partner / Lead Buyer, Kendall Booking (Cambridge, MA)

38. Rachel Rodriguez, CEO/Artistic Director, RR Productions

39. Marc Rucker, Associate Director, Artist & Industry Relations, SoundExchange

40. Eric Scott, EVP, Rights & Royalties, BMG

41. Emily Stephenson, President, Downtown Music Publishing

42. Bryan Todd, Owner | Producer | Songwriter, BT MUSIC, LLC

43. Dave Tough, Professor, Audio Engineering Technology, Belmont University

44. Jeff vom Saal, Chief Operating Officer, Nashville Symphony

45. Reid Wick, Director, Regional Advocacy & Member Engagement, The Recording Academy (New Orleans, LA)

46. Carin Zaleski, Director of Development, Ryan Seacrest Foundation

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