Universal Music Spain, a division of Universal Music Group (UMG), has appointed Luis Fernández as its president effective immediately, the company tells Billboard.

In his new and expanded role, Fernández will be responsible for leading and implementing the company’s creative and commercial strategies, and will focus on continuing to strengthen the company’s artist roster by attracting and developing new talent and expanding their international reach, according to a press release.

Based in Madrid, Fernández will report directly to Jesús López, chairman/CEO of Universal Music Latin America and Iberian Peninsula.

“Luis Fernández’s appointment as president of Universal Music Spain reflects his strategic vision, deep understanding of the music business, and his ability to lead teams with a strong focus on artist service,” López said in a statement. “Luis combines an entrepreneurial mindset with a global perspective and has proven to be a key driver of growth, innovation, and artist career development, with his modern and holistic approach. We are confident that his leadership will be instrumental in shaping the next chapter for Universal Music Spain.”

“I am honored to lead the wonderful team at Universal Music Spain, who have fully embraced our vision for generating new creative, commercial and global opportunities in support of our artists,” Fernández added. “This is where I began my professional career — as an intern in the marketing department, so I want to thank Jesús López for the trust he has placed in me from the beginning, and especially Alicia Arauzo, who gave me my first professional role, and who has been with me ever since.”

Fernández joined Universal Music in Spain in 2023 as artistic director in the A&R department. He subsequently served as director of artist management at GTS (Global Talent Services), where he was responsible for UMG’s artist management division in Spain. He was most recently co-managing director of Universal Music Spain alongside Arauzo, who announced her retirement after 30 years in the company.

Prior to joining Universal Music Spain, Fernández was the CEO of Sonido Muchacho, an independent management, record label and music publishing company he founded in 2014.