RCA Promotion Exec Wendy Goodman Exiting After 20 Years
RCA Records senior vp promotion Wendy Goodman is stepping down from her post at the label, Billboard has learned. The news was shared with employees in a pair of emails written by Goodman and RCA…
RCA Records senior vp promotion Wendy Goodman is stepping down from her post at the label, Billboard has learned. The news was shared with employees in a pair of emails written by Goodman and RCA co-president Joe Riccitelli on Monday (Feb. 24).
In her email, Goodman cites a desire to spend more time with her children as the reason for her departure. Her last day at the company will be Friday.
“Besides my children, my greatest accomplishment is my 20 years at RCA Records,” Goodman wrote. “I have had the privilege of working with some of the best music executives, artists, managers and radio programmers in the business and these relationships are what I cherish the most of my 25 years on the label side.
“That is what makes this decision so difficult, but I have thought long and hard about it and right now I need to spend more time with my children and be there for them in a more consistent capacity.”
Goodman went on to praise Riccitelli for “continually elevating” her since J Records was folded into RCA in 2011. She added, “I will forever be grateful to Richard Palmese and Clive Davis for hiring me at J Records 20 years ago and giving me the opportunity to be part of building something really special.”
“Wendy’s passion, positivity and tenacity has helped lead our Promotion team’s consistent success at adult radio,” wrote Riccitelli, who praised Goodman for her work overseeing the launch of P!nk’s last three albums at adult radio, during which time the singer became “one of the most played artists at that format.” He additionally cited her work on Kesha’s 2017 single “Praying” and on behalf of American Idol artists Kelly Clarkson, Daughtry and Carrie Underwood.
“I’ve always valued her partnership in developing the Promotion team and how committed she has always been to promoting our artists’ music,” Riccitelli added. “Please join me in wishing Wendy and her family all the very best in the future.”
Goodman began her career at Maverick Records in 1995, where she helped launch the careers of Alanis Morissette, Prodigy and Deftones. She followed that with a role as Southwest regional promotion manager at C2 Records, where was instrumental in breaking Ricky Martin in the U.S. In 2000, she joined J Records as Southwest regional promotional director out of Dallas and was upped to director, adult formats in 2004. That promotion spawned a move to Los Angeles, where she continued to rise through the executive ranks.
“Being in radio promotion my entire career, I live & breath numbers and airplay rankings – the goal is always to take a song to #1,” Goodman told Billboard last year after being named to Billboard’s inaugural Pride List recognizing LGBTQ executives.
“It is important that the workplace is reflective of our community,” she added. “For everyone to see/feel/be a part of a diverse, inclusive work environment that reflects the real world. Having young people in the company to have someone to look up to that is like them is important & necessary. It is also important to talk about & celebrate inclusiveness/LGBTQ+ outside of Pride month.”
Since 2008, Goodman has been married to entertainment attorney Dina LaPolt, with whom she has twin boys.
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