Music industry pro Kaz Kobayashi will be stepping down from his role as President and CEO of Warner Music Japan later this year after leading the company in Japan, a critical music market, for the last decade, according to an official announcement.
Kobayashi is working on a transition plan with Dr. Kenji Kitatani, who was recently appointed the Chairman of Warner Music Japan and the announcement added that Kobayashi’s successor will be announced “in due course.”
Kobayashi has bee President of Warner Music Japan since 2014 and has made major waves in the Japan music market, the world’s second-largest music market after the United States, and has been instrumental in the careers of such artists as Aimyon, THE YELLOW MONKEY, Kobukuro, TWICE, MISAMO and ONE OK ROCK.
Warner Music Japans credited Kobayashi with helping the company evolve into “one of Japan’s leading digital-first labels.”
“I want to thank Simon Robson and the entire team at Warner Music Japan, past and present, who have been with me on what has been an incredible journey” Kobayashi said in the official statement.
“I am truly grateful and feel honored to have been involved in the lives of many great artists, including Tatsuro Yamashita and Mariya Takeuchi. But all good things come to an end and I’ve decided it’s the right moment for me to move on.”
“I want to thank Kaz Kobayashi for his incredible contribution to the company over the last decade” Simon Robson said.
“Not only did he deliver outstanding results for artists as a business executive, but he also earned great respect for building deep trust and fostering friendships with them. He has led the company’s evolution in Japan, a highly important and distinctive music market.”
