Columbia Records Group said on Friday that Will Botwin was named president of the label, succeeding Don Ienner, who remains chairman.
Ienner assumed the title of president in 1989 at age 36, making him the youngest president in the label’s 119-year history. He was also its longest-serving president. He became chairman in 1994.
Columbia, home to such stars as Tony Bennett, Bob Dylan and Offspring, is a unit of Sony Music Entertainment, which is a unit of Sony Corp.
Botwin joined the lable six years ago and was personally groomed by Ienner for the presidency.
“I’ve been grooming Will for this role for quite a while,” said Ienner in a statement. “His promotion to president is in recognition of his development as a leader, and confirms his status as one of the most talented, trusted and respected members of the Columbia team.”
Most recently, Botwin served as executive vice president/general manager.
