Jody Gerson
Born	1961 (age 63–64) Philadelphia
Education	Bachelor of ArtsNorthwestern University,The Baldwin School
Occupation(s)	Chairman andChief executive officer ofUniversal Music Publishing Group, American music executive
Children	3
Signature

Jody Gerson (born 1961 inPhiladelphia)^[1] is the chairman and CEO ofUniversal Music Publishing Group.^[2] Upon assuming the role on January 1, 2015, Gerson became the first female CEO of a major music publisher^[3] and first chairwoman of a global music company.^[4] Gerson serves on the Executive Management Board forUniversal Music Group.^[5]

Gerson was raised in aJewish family^[6][7] in the Philadelphia area, where her father owned several nightclubs including theLatin Casino^[8] whose performers included artists likeFrank Sinatra andDiana Ross.^[9] She began her career in music publishing at Chappell Music shortly after graduating fromNorthwestern University,^[10] where she started out making tape copies.^[9] After six years at Chappell, she moved toEMI Music Publishing to run the company's east coast office^[2] before shifting to head up the company's west coast publishing division in 1991. In January 2008, Gerson left EMI to become US Co-President of Sony/ATV Music Publishing.^[10]

In 2015, Gerson joined Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) as chairman and CEO. Under her leadership,^[11] Gerson has led the signing of artists and songwriters including theBee Gees,^[12][13]Elton John,^[14][13]Carly Simon,^[15]Bruce Springsteen,^[16]Prince,^[17]Taylor Swift,^[18]Drake,Bad Bunny,Kendrick Lamar,Steve Lacy,The Weeknd,^[19]Billie Eilish,^[20]Rosalía,^[21]Alicia Keys,^[22]Coldplay,^[13]Justin Bieber,^[13]Jack White,^[23]SZA,^[13]Quavo,^[8]Ariana Grande,H.E.R.,^[13]Harry Styles,Jeff Bhasker,Maren Morris,^[24]Tierra Whack,^[8]Halsey,Demi Lovato,Shawn Mendes,Tobias Jesso Jr.,Travis Scott,Joe Jonas,Nick Jonas,Maroon 5,R.E.M.,Pearl Jam,Post Malone.^[9]

Gerson also led UMPG's acquisitions of the catalogs ofSting,Neil Diamond,Frank Zappa and others.^[19] In 2016, she negotiated a deal for UMPG to be the exclusive worldwide publishing administrator for Prince's entire song catalog.^[17]

In 2020, Gerson led UMPG's purchase ofBob Dylan's entire songwriting catalog, considered to be the biggest acquisition ever of a single act's publishing rights.^[25]

Previous to tenure at UMPG,^[26] Gerson signed songwriters, includingLady Gaga,Norah Jones,Odd Future,Jermaine Dupri, and a then 15-year-old Alicia Keys. Gerson has also played an instrumental role in the careers ofEnrique Iglesias,Pharrell Williams,Mac Miller,Pitbull,RedOne, andDallas Austin, among others.^[2]

In addition to her work in music, Gerson produced the moviesDrumline andATL.Drumline is currently being adapted for Broadway. She is also executive producer ofVH1'sDrumline 2.^[2] Gerson executive produced the Emmy-nominated documentaryThe Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, as well asHBO'sMusic Box series, andStax: Soulsville U.S.A.^[27]

Gerson co-founded the global nonprofit She Is The Music. She serves on boards of directors ofUSC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative,The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,The National Music Publishers' Association and Project Healthy Minds.^[19]

On December 3, 2015, Gerson was named 'Executive of the Year' byBillboard Magazine in its Women in Music 2015 issue.^[9] In 2016 she was named "Inspiring Woman of the Year" by the March of Dimes, and named to theVariety Power of Women L.A. list.^[28][29] She has appeared on theBillboard Power 100 every year from 2016 to 2025,^{[30][31][32][33][34][35]} and on theVariety 500 every year from 2017-2024. In 2020, Gerson was named byBillboard as "Executive of the Year", becoming the first music publisher and first woman to receive this honor.^[36] Gerson received theAbe Olman Publisher Award at the 51st annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Dinner.^[37]

In May 2023, Gerson received the ICMP Ralph Peer II Award for Outstanding Contribution to Global Music Publishing.^[38] Gerson has appeared on theVariety 500,^[39] andRolling Stone's Future 25.^[40]

Gerson is divorced fromSeth Swirsky and has three children.^[9]

• 1961 births
• 20th-century American businesspeople
• 20th-century American businesswomen
• 20th-century American Jews
• 21st-century American businesspeople
• 21st-century American businesswomen
• 21st-century American Jews
• American chairpersons of corporations
• American music industry executives
• American chief executives in the publishing industry
• American women chief executives
• American women corporate directors
• Businesspeople from Philadelphia
• Chairwomen
• Jewish women in business
• Jews from Pennsylvania
• Living people
• Mass media people from Philadelphia
• The Baldwin School alumni
• Universal Music Group

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Biography with signature
• Articles with hCards
• Pages using infobox person with deprecated parameters