Executive Turntable: ASCAP Names Chief of Staff — Plus, SoundCloud and PPL Add to C-Suite
The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) has appointed media veteran Marc Zelanko as its new Chief of Staff, a position created to enhance the organization’s operational efficiency and revenue growth for its vast membership of over 1.1 million songwriters, composers, and music publishers. Reporting directly to CEO Elizabeth Matthews, Zelanko is expected to leverage his extensive experience in business operations and transformation within the entertainment sector to further ASCAP’s mission. His impressive background includes over 20 years in the industry, most recently serving as Senior Vice President at Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS), where he successfully led strategic initiatives aimed at streamlining operations and enhancing teamwork across global divisions.
During his tenure at Paramount Global, Zelanko achieved significant milestones, including the organization of CEO-level leadership forums and the management of a COVID Task Force that ensured the continuity of operations for more than 15,000 employees in the U.S. He also implemented HR process improvements that effectively reduced liabilities and coordinated the Viacom Marketing Council. Prior to his role at Paramount, Zelanko spent five years at MTV Networks, where he rose to Senior VP of Business Operations and played a pivotal role in scaling Scratch, a creative consultancy launched by the network. His earlier career includes a position in the Media & Entertainment Group at Booz Allen Hamilton, and he holds both a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from Harvard University.
In welcoming Zelanko to the team, Matthews expressed confidence in his ability to drive ASCAP’s objectives, highlighting his cross-functional leadership experience in managing complex global initiatives. Zelanko himself emphasized ASCAP’s commitment to innovation and adaptability in addressing the evolving needs of its members and licensees. His appointment comes on the heels of another key hire for ASCAP, as John Pershing was recently brought on as Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, further strengthening the organization’s leadership team. Together, these strategic appointments signal ASCAP’s dedication to enhancing its operational framework and supporting its members in an ever-changing music landscape.
ASCAP
has named media veteran
Marc Zelanko
as chief of staff, reporting directly to CEO Elizabeth Matthews. In this newly created role, Zelanko will help drive ASCAP’s mission to grow revenues and improve operational efficiency for its 1.1 million songwriters, composers, and music publishers.
Zelanko brings more than 20 years of experience in business operations and transformation within IP-driven media and entertainment companies. Most recently, he served as senior vice president at Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS), where he led strategic initiatives to strengthen operations and streamline processes across global teams. His wins include organizing CEO-level leadership forums, managing the COVID Task Force to maintain operations for 15,000-plus U.S. employees, reducing liabilities through HR process improvements and coordinating the Viacom Marketing Council.
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In the aughts, he spent five year at MTV Networks, where he rose to senior vp of business operations and notably helped scale Scratch, a creative consultancy launched by the network.
Earlier in his career, Zelanko worked in the Media & Entertainment Group at Booz Allen Hamilton. He holds a degree from Harvard University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Matthews praised Zelanko’s appointment, stating: “Marc is the perfect fit to help ASCAP deliver on our mission to grow revenues and drive efficiencies for the benefit of our more than 1.1 million songwriters, composers and music publishers. He brings a wealth of experience working cross-functionally to lead complex global initiatives, and we are excited to add him to our senior leadership team.”
Zelanko added: “ASCAP has a mindset of innovation and evolution to meet the changing needs of its members and licensees. I look forward to bringing my expertise to ASCAP’s mission in support of improving the future for its songwriters, composers and music publishers.”
This announcement follows ASCAP’s recent hire of John Pershing as Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer. Pershing, formerly with What If Media Group, brings extensive experience in IT, product development, and data engineering, further strengthening ASCAP’s leadership team.
Check out a full rundown of this week’s staffing news below.
