Julie Greenwald, the longtime co-leader of Atlantic Records who has become synonymous with the iconic label over the past 20 years, penned an exit letter to the Atlantic staff ahead of her departure from the label. Greenwald’s last day as chair/CEO of Atlantic Music Group will be Sept. 30; she will remain as a consultant through January.
“I’ve been thinking about this goodbye letter for the past few weeks,” Greenwald wrote. “For someone who is never short on words, this one has been a real challenge.”
Greenwald, one of the top leaders in the business overall in the past three decades, became president of Atlantic in 2004, before becoming co-chair/COO in 2006, alongside co-chair/CEO Craig Kallman and chairman/CEO of Atlantic Music Group in 2022. Greenwald and Kallman led the label through a dynamic period in which they helped break superstars such as Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, Coldplay, Kelly Clarkson, Cardi B, Foster the People, Charli XCX, Charlie Puth, Lizzo, James Blunt, Portugal The Man, Twenty One Pilots, Panic! At the Disco, Kehlani, Ty Dolla Sign and more. She has built a reputation not just for being beloved by artists, but for being beloved by her staff and as a key mentor in the industry, particularly for rising women executives. She was named Executive of the Year at Billboard’s Women in Music event in 2017, and a fixture on the Power 100 each year.
Greenwald’s exit is part of the larger overhaul of the Warner Music Group that WMG CEO Robert Kyncl announced in August, which will see her and many of her top Atlantic executives exit the company as Elliot Grainge prepares to take over as Atlantic Music Group CEO on Oct. 1.
Read Greenwald’s full letter below.
To All My Friends, Family and Colleagues,
I’ve been thinking about this goodbye letter for the past few weeks.
For someone who is never short on words, this one has been a real challenge.
I came into Atlantic Records 9 months pregnant with a mission on my back to rebuild the house that Ahmet created.
Lucky for me, I found a partner ready to roll up his sleeves and start something new.
Craig and I were in lock step, sharing one vision, not to be the biggest company in the industry, but to be the best.
We wanted to create a risk taking culture that rewarded creativity.
For all of the old crew, remember our magic number was 34 albums a year. And our strategy worked.
We signed, nurtured and delivered some of the greatest artists on the planet. No matter how long the single took, or how many mixtapes or albums, we stayed in the fight. The weirder the marketing plan, the better.
Our goal wasn’t simply a plaque, but selling lots and lots and lots of hard tickets.
MSG was first in our sights and then came the O2.
World building wasn’t a buzz word we threw out in pitch meetings, but a true accomplishment.
I subscribe all of our successes to the perfect melding of extraordinary artists meet the most gifted employees.
For everyone who has passed through Atlantic High, Elektra, FBR, Roadrunner, 300 and WMG, I can not say thank you enough.
(And when I see you in person, I will properly do so.)
To Lyor, Steve, and Max, I am filled with tremendous gratitude for all the support and generosity you gave us throughout our years.
It was always a team effort.
To my day one partners Craig, Kyser and Sheila, I will be eternally grateful for one of the greatest rides in the history of the music business.
To Len, Robert, Elliot, Zach and Tony, I’m handing over the keys to Ahmet’s house. I wish you all the best and will remain the greatest cheerleader for all things Atlantic.
And to all my artists, I will never stop being your #1 Fan.
Love,
Julie