NEW YORK, USA // Joel Klaiman is Executive Vice President and General Manager of Columbia Records, the music industry’s signature label currently in its 128th year of operation, a division of Sony Music Entertainment.
Appointed in December, 2012, Mr. Klaiman reports to Chairman of Columbia Records, Rob Stringer. Under their watch, Columbia Records was named by Billboard Magazine as the top overall label of 2014, the imprint’s storied legacy rebranded into a diverse roster of innovative and best-selling hitmakers in multiple genres and platforms. Columbia’s esteemed roster topped nearly every category in 2014, including sales, radio airplay, streaming, viral, and ringtones. Pharrell and John Legend claimed the #1 and #3 songs on the Year-End Hot 100 list with “Happy” and “All Of Me,” respectively, with Beyonce and One Direction scoring the #2 and #4 spots on the Year-End Billboard Albums Chart. Columbia Records also achieved the two best- selling tracks of 2014; Pharrell William’s “Happy” with 6.5 Million in sales, and John Legend’s “All Of Me,” with 4.7 Million. One Direction was also named Billboard Artist Of The Year, the first group to earn the distinction since 2001. Breakout debut artist Hozier was named by Spotify as the #1 viral artist of 2014, and garnered a Grammy nomination for Song Of The Year for his multi-platform #1 hit “Take Me To Church.”
Annually recognized for developing and delivering artists whose impact spans the charts and global cultural landscape, Klaiman has worked with critically acclaimed Grammy winning, multi-platinum, platinum and gold artists throughout his 20-plus year career, including Beyonce, Pharrell, John Legend, T.I., Barbra Streisand, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Leonard Cohen, Hozier, One Direction, Daft Punk, Calvin Harris, Celine Dion, AC/DC/, Jack White, The Script, Amy Winehouse, The Who, John Mellencamp, Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, Colbie Caillat, Florence + The Machine, Enrique Iglesias, Tori Amos, Three Doors Down, Jack Johnson, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez and others.
Klaiman began his career as a manager at Frank DiLeo Management in 1990. He worked as Senior Director of National Alternative Promotion for Elektra Entertainment Group before joining the Epic Records Group in 1996 as Vice President of Alternative Music, beginning his decade-long rise to the top of Sony’s promotion tier. In 1998 he became Vice President of Promotion for Sony 550 Music. He became Vice President of Promotion for Epic Records Group in 1999. He was named Senior Vice President of Promotion for the company in 2001, and nominated for Senior Promotion Executive of the Year by Radio & Records Magazine in 2004. In 2005, he was appointed Executive Vice President of Promotion for Epic Records, largely credited for developing projects considered outside the mainstream and bringing them to multi-platform acceptance at radio. These successes would become a trademark signature of Klaiman’s ability to cultivate cutting edge artists and connect them with fans in emerging new spaces, as well.
Joining Universal Republic Records in 2005, Klaiman was named Senior Vice President of Promotion/Artist Development for the label. Credited for integrating successful strategies that reflected the comprehensive digitalization of the music business, Klaiman was instrumental in the breakout success of riveting new artists such as Amy Winehouse and Colbie Caillat. In 2007, the groundbreaking female stars would emerge as Universal Republic turnkey artists, the most successful radio and digital acts in the entire music industry.
In 2008, Klaiman – as part of a key executive team – helped forge a radio and strategic promotion partnership between the country label Big Machine Records and Universal Republic for historic hitmaker Taylor Swift's transformational single “Love Story.” Klaiman led all subsequent campaigns, and in 2009 he helmed the marketing strategy for electro-pop innovator Owl City and the massive hit “Fireflies”, as well as guiding Cash Money’s first mainstream non-hip hop success, Jay Sean, to the top of the charts.
The two singles were the only back-to-back Hot 100 Billboard #1 hits from new artists via the same label in 2009. Klaiman was awarded the 2009 promotion excellence award as Executive Of The Year, as well as receiving the year’s Promotion Excellence Award. He was promoted to Executive Vice President of Promotion & Artist Development for Universal Republic.
In 2010 he worked with Enrique Iglesias on the marketing campaign for “I Like It”, which re-energized Iglesias’ career, as well as launched genre-smashing trailblazer Florence + the Machine, who was nominated for a Grammy in the Best New Artist category. Klaiman also helped steer Nicki Minaj to unprecedented mainstream success. In 2011 and ’12, he continued to steward Big Machine’s mainstream radio growth, delivering The Band Perry’s multi-platinum, “If I Die Young,” among others, and propelling Taylor Swift’s seminal album, Red, to breakthrough heights, the fastest selling album in a decade. Klaiman also led successful campaigns for Jessie J’s hits “Price Tag” and “Domino.”
After joining Columbia as Executive Vice President and General Manager in 2012, Klaiman implemented strategies to accommodate the music industry’s changing business models, improving Columbia’s speed-to-market initiatives and long term artist development solutions. Columbia also expanded its digitally-focused strategic and creative ventures. Currently, Columbia’s diverse repertoire of established artists and breakout stars include Pharrell, Beyonce, John Legend, T.I., Barbra Streisand, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Leonard Cohen, Pink Floyd, Daft Punk, One Direction, John Mayer, Hozier, J. Cole, Haim, Calvin Harris, Celine Dion, AC/DC/, Jack White, MKTO, The Script, Train, and more.
Klaiman attended Syracuse University and has been honored with numerous awards during his career. Klaiman is a voting member of the Rock N’ Roll Hall Of Fame. Klaiman and his wife Stephanie have two children.