Ethiopia Hapet Mariam, the current president and CEO of Motown Records, has said she will be stepping down from her position in order to pursue new endeavors, she and the company said in a joint announcement Tuesday.
“It is an incredible honor to work with some of the most amazing artists, songwriters and partners in the world,” she said in a statement. “I have always had a clear vision of the talent I have been privileged to work with, who has catapulted Motown to global success and brought the label back to the forefront of contemporary culture. I would not have been able to achieve this vision without the support of my amazing team at Motown, colleagues at UMG around the world, and Sir Lucien. I I’m extremely proud of what we’ve created during my tenure, and I consider this the perfect end to twenty years at UMG encompassing publishing and recorded music.”
“Under Ethiopia’s leadership, Motown has experienced strong growth, continuing its legacy of bringing important new voices to modern culture,” said Lucien Gring, Chairman and CEO of UMG. “Ethiopia has not only been instrumental in developing and breaking great artists, but also By strategically identifying and amplifying key partnerships that have been and will continue to be cornerstones of UMG’s creative ecosystem. While I will miss working with Ethiopia, I know she will achieve great things in the future and she will leave with our enduring love and respect.”
Habtermariam’s successor will be announced at a later date. Here is its internal announcement in full:
Team:
Some of you may or may not know that the 2023 summit marks 20 yearsThe tenth General at Universal Music Group. And after two amazing decades, I made the very difficult decision to leave for my next adventure. I’ll be talking about my future plans shortly, but today it’s all about Motown, UMG, and you.
First and foremost, to Team Motown, your commitment to our artists, the legacy of this label, and the community at large is not lost on me. It has been a privilege and honor to work with each and every one of you and I am so excited to see how you continue to move forward in Motown. More than 60 years ago, Mr. Gordy created a core of this company – an core that respects and celebrates art and strongly supports creative entrepreneurship – and that continues to live on thanks to all of you. I couldn’t be more proud of what we have built.
When I think about my time at UMG, it occurs to me that my career really began at this company. I was a creative director at UMPG 20 years ago, then by 2010 I worked as an A&R consultant and manager while building a creative team at UMPG that signed and developed some great songwriters like Cardo, Childish Gambino, Chris Brown, Ciara, Big Sean, Hit Boy, J Cole, Jhene Aiko, Justin Bieber, Miguel, Stacy Barthe, and Quavo among many others. In 2014, I was promoted to President of Urban & Co-Head of Creative at UMPG and named President of Motown Records.
It was a busy time working in dual roles and laying the groundwork for what was to come in an industry with ever-changing landscapes. While continuing to build at UMPG, I was also deeply dedicated to bringing to Motown a renewed vision of black excellence–rooted in the past but relevant today, global in nature and a platform for the future. In 2015, we signed Motown’s landmark deal with Quality Control that included a distribution agreement that guaranteed support in developing the next generation of global superstars. By 2016, as this strategy made Motown a hit with new groundbreaking artists, Motown became my sole focus as we continued to grow the company with artists including BJ the Chicago Kid, Brandy and Kem, Diddy, Erykah Badu, Lil Baby, Lil Yachty, and Migos , Sebastian Cole, Cimino, Tiana Major9, Young Boy and Vince Staples among others.
The business has changed a lot during those 20 years, but through the ups and downs, I’ve always felt fortunate to have the opportunity to work in so many aspects of the industry. My hunger to learn and continue to evolve has led me to the unique experience of working across publishing and recorded music simultaneously. The fact that I have been empowered in this unique position reflects my passion for supporting those who are blessed with the gift of music but also speaks to the amazing opportunities I have here and for that I would like to thank Lucien who recognized my talent as a creator. in publishing and gave me the opportunity to lead a company as well.
But one thing that has never changed is my love for music – and the artists, songwriters, and producers who make such amazing art. This continues to drive everything I do professionally, and always will.
This is an exciting time in music and I am looking forward to exploring new creative and entrepreneurial opportunities. I will be sharing more about my future plans but for now I want to focus on finishing my role towards the end of the year.
Thank you for this wonderful trip. Know that I will always be here to support you all.
With love, gratitude and respect,
Ethiopia
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