It’s time for a July 4th weekend edition of the Executive Turntable, Billboard’s comprehensive(ish) compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across music. Check out this year’s Pride List of top LGBTQ+ executives in the industry. We also have a weekly interview series spotlighting a single executive and a regularly updated gallery honoring many of the industry figures we’ve lost throughout the year.

Thomas Coesfeld celebrated his one-year anniversary as CEO of BMG by joining the executive board of Bertelsmann, parent company of the Berlin-based music giant. The 34-year-old executive is point-person for Bertelsmann’s music business as a member of the board, which also includes chief executive Thomas Rabe and Thomas’ big brother Carsten Coesfeld, CEO of its venture capital arm, as well as company CFO Rolf Hellermann and chief human resources officer Immanuel Hermreck. Coesfeld took the reigns of BMG from longtime CEO Hartwig Masuch on July 1 of last year, and in short order instituted a new organizational structure by globalizing its catalog, sales and marketing teams and a “recalibration” of its presence in continental Europe, among other changes. Prior to rising to CEO, Coesfeld had been named deputy CFO at BMG in October 2021 before taking over as full-on CFO the following spring. During that time he oversaw BMG’s balance sheet and helped the company land 70 deals, including acquiring the catalogs of Mötley Crüe and Tina Turner, as well as those of Paul Simon, The Pointer Sisters, Peter Frampton and others.

He previously served as chief strategy officer on the executive committee of the Bertelsmann Printing Group, but began his career in 2014 as a consultant at McKinsey. Coesfeld is also a member of Bertelsmann’s Group Management Committee (GMC), which advises the executive board.

“[Coesfeld] knows Bertelsmann well from various positions,” Rabe raved in the announcement. “As CEO of BMG, he has made important decisions for the future of the business, for example by bringing digital distribution in-house and using artificial intelligence in various areas of the music business. Thomas will enrich the work of the Management Board as well. I look forward to working even more closely with him.”

Meanwhile…

Universal Music UK promoted Hannah Neaves to sole president of its catalog division, Universal Music Recordings. Her co-president over the last two years, Azi Eftekhari, has left the company, Billboard can confirm. Neaves and Eftekhari joined UMR in early 2022, roughly a year after the pair launched a London-based creative agency called Remedy Inc. Prior to joining forces, Neaves was creative director at TaP Music and Eftekhari had been head of label relations (EMEA) at YouTube. In the last two years, UMR’s wins include “Now and Then” — the “last Beatles song” — and other releases featuring Bob Marley, Amy Winehouse, the Spice Girls and more. “Hannah is, first and foremost, an artist person with an innate understanding of where creativity and discovery meet, something she has brought in abundance since re-joining our team,” said Universal Music UK chief David Joseph, referencing Neaves’ tenure at UMG’s Polydor earlier in her career. “A truly exceptional and inspiring executive, Hannah has already had huge success, most recently creatively leading the global and record-breaking Now And Then campaign for The Beatles, and there’s so much more to come.”

Former BMI executive Jody Williams was elected to a one-year term as the new chair of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum‘s board of officers and trustees. The publishing veteran, who founded Jody Williams Songs in 2020 following a 14-year run at BMI, has served on the museum’s board for 17 years. He replaces outgoing chair Mary Ann McCready, who remains as a trustee. CMHFM CEO Kyle Young remarked that Williams is “woven into the fabric of country music’s creative community in a true and meaningful way” and “resolute in furthering country music’s vitality as a cultural artform.” The Nashville institution also elected several new members to the board, including artist manager Clint Higham and WME agent Becky Gardenhire.

Merlin, the digital licensing partner for the independent music sector, welcomed Neil Miller as its new general counsel. Miller arrives from Greenberg Traurig, where he served as partner of the global law firm for three years. Prior to that, Miller was an associate general counsel at Facebook and earlier in his career spent six years as GC at SoundCloud. He is based in the UK. “Merlin is a dynamic organisation operating in a complex and ever changing legal and commercial environment,” said Charlie Sexton, Merlin COO. “Neil’s wealth of experience across music and digital entertainment is exactly what we need to meet these challenges. He is highly respected across the industry and brings a valuable blend of long-term thinking, technical skills, and impressive leadership.”

Believe has new leadership in place for its efforts throughout China, naming Charles Liu as general manager and Rebecca Dong as managing director for the growth-ready region. Based in Beijing and reporting to Sylvain Delange, Believe’s president of Asia-Pacific, Liu will focus on building partnerships and growing Believe’s roster of labels and artists. Dong rolls up to Liu and will manage all operations, along with legal, finance and HR matters. Believe has operated in China since 2016 and has grown to 80-plus “digital and music experts” across offices in five cities, the company said. “Greater China is both an exciting and challenging market where Believe’s unique approach can significantly contribute to accelerate the rise of a strong, diverse and thriving local music ecosystem as we’ve done is so many other markets in Asia Pacific,” said Delange.

NASHVILLE NOTES: Universal Music Group Nashville hired Houston Gaither as director of radio marketing. She was previously Sony Music Nashville’s manager of content, promotion and artist development … Former PLA Media director of publicity and branding Becky Parsons formed Found Sound Media, a PR and management firm focused on developing LGBTQ+ and female artists … Kylie Taylor joined Black River Entertainment as a graphic designer. Reach her at ktaylor@blackriverent.com.

OTM Music, a boutique publishing company with footholds in London, New York and Los Angeles, welcomed Kristin Genovese as the firm’s new U.S. head of sync and Kate Sweetsur as the new head of A&R. The company, which provides creative services for its roster of songwriters and brands, also noted the recent additions of Chi Chi Nwakodo as senior creative and Ethan Mizen as A&R manager.

ICYMI:

Hipgnosis Song Management founder Merck Mercuriadis will step down as chairman of the investment manager, months after vacating the CEO role … Stephanie Rosa is managing director of Tixr‘s new London office … Former Capitol Music Group executive Britney Davis was named general manager at Quality Control … Warner Records promoted Robert Santini to senior vp of brand partnerships and ad sync … and Mano Sundaresan is the new head of editorial content for Pitchfork.

Last Week’s Turntable: Audacy OG Elevated

Vanessa Hudgens and her husband professional baseball player Cole Tucker welcomed their first child together this week. And while the former High School Musical and Los Angeles Angels outfielder/shortstop were overjoyed by their baby bundle, in an Instagram Story on Thursday (July 4) Hudgens lamented that their special day was ruined by the prying eyes of the paparazzi.

“We’re disappointed that our family’s privacy was disrespected and exploited during this very special time due to the greed of a long lens camera feeding the media,” Hudgens wrote in the Story, adding, “Mom dad and baby are happy and healthy.”

At press time Hudgens, 35, and Tucker, 28, who married in Mexico last December, had not revealed the baby’s name or gender. The singer appeared to be referring to photos published on TMZ on Wednesday in which Hudgens was seen leaving a Santa Monica hospital in a wheelchair while holding the baby.

Hudgens debuted her baby bump on the red carpet at this year’s Oscars in March.

Last month, a fellow member of the Wildcat family, Zac Efron, sent good vibes to Hudgens, and another HSM alum, Ashley Tisdale, as both women awaited the birth of their children. “Oh they’re going to be the best moms ever,” he told Access Hollywood at the red carpet of the premiere of his new rom-com, A Family Affair. “Those girls, are you kidding me? Oh my gosh. Yeah, we’re going to have some fun family reunions coming up.”

Both women announced their pregnancies in March, just two months before Hudgens took the crown as the winner of season 11 of The Masked Singer following a flawless run in the Goldfish costume.

It took 11 weeks, but Shaboozey is finally the king of Australia’s singles chart as “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” (via Empire) lifts 2-1.

That’s the U.S. artist’s first leader in the land Down Under. The track, which interpolates J-Kwon’s “Tipsy,” which reached No. 5 in 2004, enjoys a boost after Shaboozey performed it with the American rapper Sunday at the BET Awards.

Sabrina Carpenter’s reign ends as the U.S. singer and actor’s former leaders “Espresso” (up 3-1) and “Please Please Please” (down 1-3, both via Island/Universal) complete the podium.

The top debut on the latest ARIA Singles Chart, published Friday, July 5, belong to The Kid Laroi with “Girls” (Columbia/Sony), new at No. 21. That’s the Sydney-raised singer and rapper’s 20th appearance on the ARIA Top 50, according to the trade body, a tally that includes two No. 1 singles: “Without You” and “Stay” with Justin Bieber. Meanwhile, LAROI’s “Nights Like This” improves 48-26 on the current frame, a new peak.

Over on the ARIA Albums Chart, Taylor Swift enters a fifth non-consecutive week at No. 1 with The Tortured Poets Department (Universal), up 3-1.

Swift has led the way as female artists have dominated the ARIA Chart this year, ruling for 24 out of 27 weeks. TayTay has led for 15 of those cycles with 1989 (Taylor’s Version), Midnights, Lover and The Tortured Poets Department.

Also new to the ARIA Chart this week are collections by Omar Apollo (God Said No at No. 11), Imagine Dragons (Loom at No. 17), Camila Cabello (C, XOXO at No. 29), and Grammy-nominated, Melbourne neo-soul band Hiatus Kaiyote (Love Heart Cheat Code at No. 40).

Coldplay has reportedly settled a lawsuit with their former manager Dave Holmes, concluding a legal battle that has been ongoing for several years.

The lawsuit, which involved allegations of unpaid fees and breach of contract, has apparently been resolved for a sum reported to be in the multiple millions of pounds.

Holmes initially sued Coldplay in 2022, claiming that the band owed him significant amounts of money for his management services. Holmes sought over $12 million in damages, alleging that he was not compensated for his contributions to the band’s success. The exact details of the settlement remain confidential, but it is understood that the settlement amount is substantial.

The dispute between Coldplay and Holmes has been a topic of interest in the music industry, with both parties reportedly eager to resolve the matter out of court. Holmes, who managed Coldplay for over 20 years, was instrumental in guiding the band through some of their most successful years. However, tensions apparently arose over financial disagreements, leading to the eventual lawsuit.

In the lead-up to the settlement, both Coldplay and Holmes have reportedly kept negotiations under wraps, with neither side commenting publicly on the case. The resolution of the lawsuit now allows both parties to move forward without the shadow of legal disputes.

The legal issues began after Coldplay and Holmes parted ways in 2021. Holmes claimed that he had a contract entitling him to a share of the band’s earnings and that Coldplay had breached this agreement. The band’s representatives argued that Holmes had been adequately compensated for his services and that the claims were unfounded.

Despite the legal wrangling, Coldplay has continued to thrive, working on new music and planning future tours, including extending their Music Of The Spheres World Tour to Australia and New Zealand later this year.

A new album, Moon Music, is due out Oct. 4. In the U.K., Coldplay’s chart story is immaculate. Each of their nine albums have gone to No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart, dating back to 2000 debut Parachutes.