Universal Music Group Appoints Eric Hutcherson to New Chief People and Inclusion Officer Role
Universal Music Group has tapped former NBA executive Eric Hutcherson to lead its efforts to be a more diverse and inclusive company, creating the new position of executive vp and Chief People and…
Universal Music Group has tapped former NBA executive Eric Hutcherson for the newly created position of executive vp and chief people and inclusion officer.
Hutcherson’s appointment is effective immediately and follows a few months after UMG convened its social justice task force. He will work with other execs and managers on a host of major initiatives, including but not limited to accelerating diversity and inclusion across the board, amplifying the company’s entrepreneurial-based culture, attracting and retaining talent and boosting UMG’s social justice initiatives.
He’ll serve on UMG’s executive management board and report directly to chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge.
“Our strength as a company comes from our people and our culture – combining the quality, passion and dedication of our people with our entrepreneurial drive,” Grainge said in a statement. “And that translates into the success of our artists and songwriters. But this new position is a reflection of the fact that, in music, you can’t rest on your past success. You need to improve and grow, and you need to continually become more diverse and inclusive. Eric understands that, and over his career he has built a track record to prove it.”
Hutcherson was most recently evp, chief human resources officer at the NBA, where he spearheaded the league’s global workforce strategy to attract-and-retain top talent for the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League and NBA 2K League.
Prior to joining the NBA, in 2014, he held C-suite human resources positions at Marsh, and insurance broker, and at Mercer, a financial services consulting firm. Earlier in his career, he worked for Foot Locker and served as assistant director of PR for the Boston Celtics.
“I’m thrilled to join UMG,” Hutcherson said. “Music is special and uniquely universal; it drives culture in a way that nothing else quite does. Lucian has created a world-class organization that empowers employees to think for themselves, to be creative and break new ground, to take calculated risks, and to value competition and entrepreneurialism. It’s a culture that fundamentally understands that success requires true diversity and real inclusion and continuous improvement.”