Matt Young has been appointed president of Universal Music Group’s merchandise company Bravado, it was announced Monday (Nov. 15). He joins UMG from Warner Music Group, where he worked at Warner Music Artist Services — most recently as president — for nearly 14 years before departing the company last month.
Young will be based out of Bravado’s New York offices, where he’ll report to global e-commerce and business development president Richelle Parham, who complimented Young in a statement for his “leadership and vision. She added that Young “will be a critical element of the ecosystem we have built to deliver unparalleled consumer-driven e-commerce, as well as ensure our artists are reaching their fans and new audiences around the world with exciting products and experiences.”
In his work at WMG, Young was a leading force in developing consumer engagement, marketing execution and revenue generation for the company’s artists. He brings over 20 years of industry experience in brand-building and artist services to UMG, with a focus on merchandising, e-commerce, retail, consumer product licensing, ticketing and customer relationship management.
Prior to WMG Young worked at Bandmerch, where he served as GM of the New York office and as head of retail and A&R. Before that, he served in roles at Blue Grape Merchandising and indie labels Bush League Records and Earache Records.
“I’m stoked to lead Bravado at this pivotal time and to build on the company’s reputation as the leader in our industry,” said Young in a statement. “Bravado is known for creating innovative new opportunities for artists to meaningfully connect with their fans, both directly, on tour and through some of the most prominent retailers in the world. With Richelle and her team, Bravado will work closely with our roster of artists, as well as UMG’s labels, territories and operating companies to take UMG’s direct-to-consumer and merchandise strategy to an even greater level of success.”