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TROY CARTER, 45
Global head of creator services, Spotify
HORACIO GUTIERREZ, 53
Vp business and legal affairs/general counsel, Spotify
Last Year’s Rank: 50
STREAMING’S SLIPSTREAM: Gutierrez, who came to the company from Microsoft in 2016, stepped in to play a crucial role in reaching long-term deals with labels that give Spotify the stability it needs to go public. For Carter, it was also the year that key playlists such as RapCaviar and Viva Latino became indispensable for breaking artists.
PREPPING TO GO PUBLIC: Carter believes Spotify can continue to grow, both in audience and in importance for artists. In order to repair the company’s relationships with songwriters, though, Gutierrez needs to settle the mechanical-royalties lawsuits that threaten to complicate the company’s public listing.
