Tom Corson
Inaugural Board Chair, Dean's Advisory Board

Co-Chairman and COO of Warner Records

Tom Corson is the Co-Chairman and COO of Warner Records, overseeing all aspects of the record label’s operations. He joined the company in January 2018 and since taking the reins, the label has achieved impressive chart and commercial success with many new and established artists, including Dua Lipa, Bebe Rexha, Mac Miller, Saweetie, NLE Choppa, Wale, Neil Young, Michael Buble, The Black Keys, Josh Groban, Green Day, Cher, Ali Gatie, Gary Clark Jr., and both PartyNextDoor and Drake’s “Look Alive” on OVO Sound. Tom’s first year at the helm saw“Best New Artist” Grammy nominations for both Bebe and Dua (Dua took home the award), as well as a “Best Rap Album” nod for Mac Miller. Last year, Gary Clark Jr. captured five Grammy Award nominations, and took home four awards including “Best Rock Song” and “Best Rock Performance” at the January 2020 ceremony.

Tom came to Warner Records from RCA Music Group, where he spent nearly 18 years of his career and most recently served as President & COO. Having also overseen operations for J and Arista, Tom played a leading role in talent development at RCA, helping to guide the careers of Alicia Keys, A$AP Rocky, H.E.R., Bleachers, Bryson Tiller, Chris Brown, Foo Fighters, G-Eazy, Justin Timberlake, Khalid, Kings of Leon, Kygo, Pentatonix, P!nk, Miley Cyrus, Sia, SZA, Usher, and many others.

Tom began his career in the music industry as a college intern at IRS Records. Upon graduating from UCLA with a B.A. in Business/Economics, he joined the label as Director of West Coast Sales, working with artists such as R.E.M. and The Go-Go’s. Tom moved to A&M Records in 1985, advancing to Vice President of Marketing where he assisted in developing a variety of artists, including Soundgarden, Simple Minds, Sting and UB40. In 1993, Corson was named Senior Vice President of Marketing at Capitol Records with a talent roster ranging from Radiohead to MC Hammer. From 1996 to 2000, he served as Senior Vice President of Marketing at Columbia Records, spearheading a genre-spanning string of breakout campaigns for Fugees, Train, Lauryn Hill, System of a Down, Ricky Martin, Mariah Carey and others.

Tom Corson has appeared on the Billboard Power 100 list the last eight years, and he is a member of NARAS; on the Music and Entertainment Industry Board for City of Hope; and a founding Board Member for The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.

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