Joel Klaiman

In his announcement, Stringer said, "We are thrilled to have someone of Joel’s high caliber and experience join our team in a very important role. His winning mentality will help take the Columbia label to even greater heights."

Commenting on his appointment, Klaiman says, "I am very excited about joining Columbia; I have always admired their artists. I am really anxious to get started in collaborating with the Columbia team in breaking new music. I want to thank Rob Stringer and Doug Morris for this incredible opportunity!"

Klaiman began his career in 1990 as a manager at Frank DiLeo Management. He served as Senior Director of National Alternative Promotion for Elektra Entertainment Group before joining the Epic Records Group in 1996 as VP of Alternative Music. In 1998, he was named VP of Promotion for Sony 550 Music, becoming VP of Promotion for Epic Records Group in 1999. He was named SVP of Promotion for the company in 2001, helping to plot the strategic radio development of artists such as Celine Dion, Shakira, Korn, Oasis, Fiona Apple, Incubus, Sade and Jamiroquai, among others. In 2006, he was appointed EVP of Promotion for Epic Records.

During his tenure at Universal Republic Records, Klaiman played an instrumental role in spearheading breaking new artist campaigns for talent including Amy Winehouse, Florence + the Machine, Taylor Swift, Gotye, Nicki Minaj, The Band Perry, Alex Clare, Of Monsters and Men and PSY, as well as re-energizing the profile of artists like Enrique Iglesias.