Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), Universal Music Group’s leading global publishing division, today announced that highly respected publishing executive Jennifer Knoepfle, has been appointed as Executive Vice President and Co-Head of US A&R, effective immediately. Based in Los Angeles, Knoepfle will report to Jody Gerson, UMPG Chairman and CEO.
In her role as EVP & Co-Head of US A&R, Knoepfle will work closely with UMPG’s Co-Head of US A&R, EVP and Head of Global Creative Group David Gray and team to foster the company’s culture of creative collaboration, nurturing the next generation of both songwriting and A&R talent and reinforcing UMPG’s position as the market leader in talent development.
Knoepfle will work with UMPG’s songwriters, artists, and producers; co-lead the A&R team in identifying, signing, and developing early rising talent; support legacy talent by providing opportunities to strengthen their careers; and further grow the company’s unparalleled catalog of hits.
One of the industry’s most successful publishing execs, Knoepfle joins UMPG from Sony Music Publishing, where she has worked since 2009, most recently serving as SVP, Creative. During her tenure, Knoepfle was responsible for signing and developing some of the most exciting, acclaimed, and decorated songwriters in the U.S. including; Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner, Dan Nigro, Ariel Rechtshaid, Bloodpop, Joel Little and artists including; WILLOW, Tate McRae, King Princess, Remi Wolf, Maggie Rogers, Leon Bridges, Wallows, Salem Ilese, Noah Kahan and Lord Huron in recent years.
Other notable songwriters that Knoepfle has signed and worked with throughout her career include Grimes, Foster The People, Mikky Ekko and Sam Dew. She previously served as Senior Director of membership at ASCAP between 2005-2009, where she brought a number of prominent acclaimed songwriters to the organization, including The Killers and Greg Kurstin.
Jody Gerson, UMPG Chairman and CEO, said: “I am delighted to be reunited with Jennifer and am thrilled she is joining us at UMPG. She is certainly one of the most gifted and accomplished A&R executives in the industry, and one that understands the qualities required to make a great songwriter, and possesses the instinct of how best to nurture, shape and strengthen that craft. She joins UMPG to lead our A&R team with David Gray, at a truly exciting time, as we further build on UMPG’s global creative strategy, which sets us apart from the industry - Nurturing next generation talent across all territories, supporting music’s biggest superstars, and reinforcing the legacies of songwriting icons.”
Knoepfle said: “I am excited and grateful to be reunited with Jody Gerson at UMPG, who played an integral role in my development and has served as a mentor since bringing me to Sony in 2009. We are both aligned in our belief in identifying and helping to shape tomorrow’s great talents. I look forward to working with the entire U.S. A&R team to deliver creative success for our writers and artists in the future.”
2022 has already seen UMPG achieve new levels of success, with some of the biggest global breakthrough hit songs and albums of the year, multiple award wins and nominations and global acclaim for its writers and partners. UMPG continues to innovate and lead the industry in talent development, recently launching the newly formed Global Creative Group to help maximize the worldwide success and future opportunities available to its writers globally.
UMPG is a proud champion of songwriter rights and the art of songwriting.
