Def Jam Elevates Label Veteran Noah Sheer to EVP & Head of Promotion
Sheer will lead and oversee the company’s radio promotion team at the national level.
Veteran Def Jam Recordings executive Noah Sheer has been elevated to executive vp and head of promotion at the company, it was announced today by Def Jam executive vp and general manager Nicki Farag. In his new role, Sheer will lead and oversee the company’s radio promotion team at the national level.
A 22-year Def Jam employee, Sheer has served as executive vp rhythm/crossover & lifestyle promotion at the company since 2018. He started his music career as a promotion assistant at Arista Records in 1998 before joining Def Jam in 2000 as Mid-Atlantic regional promotion manager. He climbed the company ladder from there.
In a statement, Farag praised Sheer for his “leadership, passion and talent” and called his “love, respect and reverence” for Def Jam “unmatched.” Based out of UMG’s Santa Monica headquarters, Sheer will jointly report to Farag and incoming Def Jam chairman and CEO Tunji Balogun.
“Not only is this the most iconic and legendary record label in existence, but it has graciously provided me some of the most significant and incomparable life-altering experiences,” said Sheer, who also paid tribute to Farag and Jeff Harleston – general counsel and executive vp of business & legal affairs at Def Jam’s parent company Universal Music Group – for assisting in his growth at the label.
Also elevated within the Def Jam promotion department are Laurie LaMartina and Mundo Garcia, who have both been upped to vp promotion. The New York-based Garcia will lead radio promotion nationally at the Rhythm format, while LaMartina, also based in New York, will lead radio promotion nationally at the Top 40, Hot AC and AC formats. Both will report directly to Sheer.
LaMartina joined Def Jam in 2015 as Northeast regional promotion manager before her elevation to East Coast promotion manager and, later, director promotion. She started her music career in 2002 as a programming assistant at WPXY in Rochester, New York. In 2008, she kicked off a five-year run at Warner Bros. Records – first as a promotion assistant in Burbank and later as Northeast regional promotion manager in New York.
“After beginning my career at Top 40 radio nineteen years ago in my hometown, I am humbled to be elevated to the executive level at Def Jam Recordings, to lead promotion for that same format,” said LaMartina in a statement.
Garcia has been with Def Jam since 2014 when he joined the label as West Coast regional manager in the promotion department. He was later elevated to director rhythm promotion in 2016 and to vp rhythm promotion in 2018. He started his music career in 2009 as a promotion intern at IDJ in Santa Monica. He subsequently worked as a promotion assistant at Capitol Records before moving back to IDJ, where he was hired as a promotion assistant in New York.
“As an intern, I never could have imagined a career spanning over a decade at Def Jam,” said Garcia. “It’s been an honor to work with and contribute to such amazing team members and artists.”
Elsewhere in the Def Jam promotion department, Dave “Sonny D” Rego has been elevated to senior director rhythm & crossover promotion, Daisy Moreira has been upped to director East Coast & Midwest promotion, Kevin “Chixo” Gibbs has been promoted to director Southwest promotion and Michael Jackson is now manager West Coast promotion.
More From Pro
