{"id":2060225,"date":"2026-07-24T19:14:37","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T16:14:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2060225"},"modified":"2026-07-24T19:14:37","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T16:14:37","slug":"executive-turntable-sphere-fender-name-new-chief-communications-officers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2060225","title":{"rendered":"Executive Turntable: Sphere & Fender Name New Chief Communications Officers"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\tSphere Entertainment Co. has named Karen Laureano-Rikardsen<\/strong> as the company\u2019s new global head of corporate marketing and communications. Reporting to Sphere\u2019s president and chief operating officer, Jennifer Koester<\/strong>, Laureano-Rikardsen will be based in New York City.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cAs we continue to expand Sphere\u2019s presence and bring our next-generation immersive entertainment experiences to audiences around the world, it is critical that we continue to tell our story in compelling and impactful ways,\u201d Koester said in a statement. \u201cKaren brings a strong combination of global marketing and communications experience, sound judgement and proven leadership in high-profile environments. She will play a vital role in shaping how we communicate our vision and innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tPrior to joining the company, Laureano-Rikardsen served as chief communications and marketing officer at Cantor Fitzgerald.<\/p>\n
\n\tSince opening its doors on Sept. 29, Sphere Las Vegas has hosted residencies from the likes of U2, Phish, Dead & Company and more. Upcoming events at the venue include Backstreet Boys, Car\u00edn Le\u00f3n and Metallica. Sphere Entertainment plans to complete a 20,000 capacity venue in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi by the end of 2029, and has plans for a 6,000 capacity location in National Harbor, Maryland.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThroughout my career, I have worked with global organizations to strengthen corporate reputations and develop communications strategies that drive business growth and meaningful engagement with audiences,\u201d Laureano-Rikardsen said in a statement. \u201cSphere is a unique company at the intersection of technology, storytelling and live entertainment, and I look forward to working alongside the talented team of creatives, engineers, technologists and business leaders to help fuel the company\u2019s continued expansion.\u201d \u2014 Ariel King<\/em><\/p>\n
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Christina Stejskal (Fender)<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Christina Stejskal<\/strong> has returned to Fender as the company\u2019s chief communications officer. She will report to Fender\u2019s CEO, Edward \u201cBud\u201d Cole<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
\n\tStejskal previously spent almost 10 years at Fender, and led communications for products including the American Professional Series and the American Acoustasonic Telecaster. After her initial tenure at Fender, she served as senior director of global public relations at Dolby Laboratories.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cChristina understands what makes Fender unique \u2014\u00a0our history, our players and the culture that has grown around this brand for generations,\u201d Cole, said in a statement. \u201cShe has played an important role in shaping Fender\u2019s global story, combining strategic thinking and creativity to build meaningful connections with audiences around the world. We\u2019re excited to welcome Christina back to the executive leadership team as we continue to grow the Fender brand and inspire musicians at every stage of their journey.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tStejskal added, \u201cI\u2019m honored to return to Fender and join the executive leadership team. Few brands have shaped music and culture the way Fender has. I\u2019m excited to help tell the stories behind our people, our products and the players who inspire us every day, while helping write this iconic company\u2019s next chapter.\u201d \u2014 Ariel King<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
T<\/span>riple Tigers Records\/AKANDO Music has named Chris Palmer<\/strong> as vp of national promotion. A 28-year radio promotion veteran, Palmer fills the role vacated by Raffaella Braun<\/strong> following her promotion to the role of Triple Tigers Records co-president. Palmer will oversee radio promotion efforts for both Triple Tigers and AKANDO Music and will begin in the role July 27.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cHaving Chris Palmer part of this ambush of tigers is so exciting.\u00a0 He brings the experience and creative juices, but most of all, the passion and fun we all love about this job,\u201d Braun said in a statement. <\/p>\n
\n\t\u201dI can\u2019t wait to join an already incredible team, many of whom I\u2019ve already worked with, that are firing on all cylinders with arguably Nashville\u2019s hottest artist roster,\u201d Palmer added.<\/p>\n
\n\tPalmer most recently served as vice president of promotion at The Valory Music Company, and his previous career stops include roles as vp at Warner Music Nashville, and work at Lyric Street Records. \u2014 Jessica Nicholson<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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Timo Hoffman (Frontiers Label Group)<\/h2>\n<\/figure>\n
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Timo Hoffman<\/strong> has joined Frontiers Label Group as head of A&R, Germany. He previously worked at AFM Records.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cFrontiers is more than just an innovative label \u2014\u00a0it\u2019s a place where music truly lives,\u201d Hoffman said in a statement. \u201cThe company\u2019s expansion into the Frontiers Label Group further broadens its spectrum of musical genres and brings with it amazing new opportunities, which I\u2019m excited to help explore.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWhat Serafino and his team have created over the past 30 years is nothing short of remarkable. Frontiers has not only become synonymous with the entire genre of melodic rock but has also successfully branched out into heavier styles over the years. Their roster, consisting of legendary bands as well as great new and upcoming acts, is brimming with quality. I have followed their evolution for a long time, always with great respect for the label\u2019s forward-thinking approach, vision and consistency. Being invited to join this passionate team feels fantastic, and I want to thank Serafino for his trust and vision.\u201d<\/p>\n
Serafino Perguino<\/strong>, president and founder of Frontiers Label Group, added, \u201cWe are thrilled to welcome Timo to the Frontiers family. His deep knowledge of the international rock and metal landscape, combined with his proven track record in identifying and developing talent, makes him the perfect choice to lead our A&R activities in Germany.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cGermany remains one of the most important markets for our genres worldwide, and with Timo\u2019s experience, passion and strong industry relationships, we are confident that we will further strengthen our position and continue to grow the Frontiers Label Group with outstanding artists.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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Lunar Vision Records Launches<\/h2>\n
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L<\/span>unar Vision Entertainment announced the formation of Lunar Vision Records. Along with the label\u2019s launch, dance music producer Am\u00e9l\u2019s \u201cSend It To The Night\u201d arrives as the label\u2019s first official release. Giancarlo Cordasco<\/strong>, founder and CEO of Lunar Vision Entertainment, was previously head of U.S. operations and promotion at Armada Music and promotion manager at RCA Records.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cLaunching Lunar Vision Records felt like the natural next step,\u201d Cordasco said in a statement. \u201cI\u2019ve worked alongside artists, labels and management teams helping shape release strategy, DSP campaigns, radio promotion and artist development. Instead of simply advising from the outside, I wanted to create a label where artists could access that same expertise within a hands-on environment while still maintaining their independence. One of the most exciting parts of launching this label is being able to work with artists at pivotal moments in their careers, and Am\u00e9l was the perfect artist to begin that journey with. As we continue to grow the roster, the throughline will always be great music and real artist development.\u201d \u2014 Ariel King<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
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Matt Ewald (Centricity Music)<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy Centricity Music\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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F<\/span>ranklin, Tenn.-based label Centricity Music has promoted Matt Ewald <\/strong>to head of A&R. Ewald joined Centricity in 2016 and serves as VP of A&R; in his expanded role, Ewald will oversee the company\u2019s A&R strategy, including artist discovery, signings, song selection, and long-term creative planning. Ewald will succeed the outgoing president of A&R, John Mays, and has been instrumental in the successes of Centricity artists including Katy Nichole, Brandon Heath and Chris Renzema.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cMatt has been a trusted creative voice and steady advocate for Centricity\u2019s artists and writers,\u201d\u00a0Caren Seidle<\/strong>, CEO of Centricity Music, said in a statement. \u201cHe understands the heart of our mission, the importance of long-term artist development and the responsibility we carry in offering music that encourages and inspires people. His role in A&R reflects both the leadership he has already demonstrated and the vision he brings for shaping the future of our roster.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThere was so much to learn from Matt during my decade of working alongside him,\u201d Mays added. \u201cHow to be a better A&R person, sure, but also how to be a better man. Centricity is fortunate to move into the future with Matt heading up the A&R team and contributing more involved leadership to the company\u2019s mission, vision and direction.\u201d \u2014 Jessica Nicholson<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Sphere-Comms-Billboard-1800.jpg?w=1024″] Sphere Entertainment Co. has named Karen Laureano-Rikardsen as the company\u2019s new global head of corporate marketing and communications. Reporting to Sphere\u2019s president and chief operating officer, Jennifer Koester, Laureano-Rikardsen will be based in New York City. \u201cAs we continue to expand Sphere\u2019s presence and bring our next-generation immersive entertainment experiences to audiences […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[48,226],"class_list":["post-2060225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-billboard-com","tag-crawlmanager"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2060225","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2060225"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2060225\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2060225"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2060225"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2060225"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"Christina](\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Christina-Stejskal-Billboard-1800.jpg?w=300\")
![\"Chris](\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Chris-Palmer-Triple-Tigers-Records-Billboard-1800.jpg?w=300\")
![](\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Timo-Hoffman-Billboard-1800.jpg?w=300\")
![\"Matt](\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Matt-Ewald-Centricity.jpg?w=300\")