Alejandro Duque has been named as the next President of Warner Music Latin America. He will join the company in August and take up his new role at the start of October, succeeding Iñigo Zabala, who it has previously been reported is stepping down from his role as President of Latin America and Iberia after working for Warner Music for more than 30 years.
Duque joins Warner Music from Universal Music, where he has forged a career over the last 15 years, most recently serving as Managing Director of Universal Music Latin. He will be based in Miami and report to Simon Robson, President, International, Recorded Music, Warner Music Group.
Zabala had decided to step down from his current role, but will continue working with Warner Music as an advisor. Guillermo Gonzalez, President of Warner Music Iberia, will report directly to Simon Robson after Zabala steps down.
Alejandro Duque says: “I’m so excited to be joining Warner Music and have the opportunity to continue its success story. The incredible music coming out of Latin America continues to seize the imaginations of fans around the world. I want to do more to support talent from our region and help our artists claim their rightful place on the global stage.”
Simon Robson adds: “I’m looking forward to welcoming Alejandro to Warner Music. He has extensive experience working around the region and has helped drive our industry’s digital transformation. Alejandro also has a fantastic reputation as an innovative leader who always puts his artists’ needs first. He’ll help us continue to grow our reputation as the most artist-friendly record company in the region, building long-term careers for our talent and adding significant value beyond just the streaming market.”
“I’d also like to thank Iñigo for all his service over the years. He’s an incredible exec who has made a huge impact both on our company and the wider Latam music business, and he’s signed and developed some of the biggest and most important Latin artists of all time. I’m delighted that he’ll continue to work very closely with us.”
Iñigo Zabala concludes: “I started working with Warner when I was an artist, and it’s helping amazing artists that’s motivated my whole career. I’ve had many fantastic years at the company, but now is the right time for me to follow my own path while still supporting the artists I love.”
Duque began his career at Universal Music in 2005, initially working in Colombia as a digital and new media manager. He moved to Argentina in 2009, taking up the role of Director of Sales and Business Development. He was promoted to VP of Digital & Business Development in 2012, moving to Miami in the process. A further promotion came in 2016, when he became Managing Director of Universal Music Latin. In that role, he was the head of UMG’s Latin labels in the US, including Universal Music Latin, Capitol Latin and Machete Music.
He holds a BA in Music Business & Management from Berklee College of Music in Boston.
