Chair Laura Tesoriero, Vice Chair Marcelo Castello Branco, Secretary Johnny Ventura, and Treasurer Luis Villanueva are the Newly Elected Board of Trustees
MIAMI (March 25, 2014) — The Latin Recording Academy® announced today that Argentina-based EPSA Music CEO Laura Tesoriero was elected as the first female Chair of the Board of Trustees. Founder/CEO of Brazil-based MCB (Music Content Branding) Marcelo Castello Branco was elected Vice Chair; Latin GRAMMY® winner and Latin Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Johnny Ventura was elected Secretary; and founder and current President/CEO Somos TV Luis Villanueva was elected Treasurer at its annual Board of Trustees meeting. Outgoing Chair of the Board Luis Cobos was elected Chair Emeritus. As part of the meeting, Chair of the Board Tesoriero announced the extension of President/CEO Gabriel Abaroa Jr.'s contract through 2019. Abaroa, who had one remaining year on his previous contract, has completed his first decade at the helm of the premier Latin music organization. He became President of The Latin Recording Academy in March 2003 and was promoted to President/CEO in August 2010.
"Through the election of our experienced and accomplished officers, the Board of Trustees will continue our mission of keeping The Latin Recording Academy as the premier organization within our international music community," said Abaroa. "I look forward to continuing to work closely with this diverse and talented group of professionals while advancing the development and outreach of The Latin Recording Academy and the Latin GRAMMY brand."
"Gabriel is an exceptional leader whose collaborative, inclusive personality and extensive experience and relationships across all aspects of music and entertainment have delivered dynamic financial and cultural benefits to The Latin Academy, while working side by side with the Board of Trustees," said Tesoriero. "As a longtime elected leader and industry executive, he is expertly qualified to understand and address the ongoing needs of the Latin music community in the ever-evolving industry. Gabriel continues to advance the imprint and mission in everything he does and continues to expand the scope of events, programs and services we offer. His undying passion and vision have elevated the organization, and I, along with my fellow officers, look forward to our continued collaboration with him."
The Trustees of The Latin Recording Academy, along with Latin Academy senior staff — fiduciaries of the not-for-profit organization — meet every year in the spring to discuss goals, set priorities, and implement policies designed to strategically chart the course of The Latin Recording Academy.
About The Newly Elected Trustees
Passionate in preserving the tango and folk music of her native Argentina, Laura Tesoriero is the CEO of EPSA Music and Latin American manager of The Orchard. She has covered almost all the aspects of the music industry including leading as an Executive, as well as working in A&R, marketing, manufacturing and publishing; recently joining the latter where she has already signed more than 400 songwriters administering more than 14,000 compositions. She is the first woman to be elected Chair of the Board of Trustees of The Latin Recording Academy and as well as being one of the founding member of the organization.
Long recognized for his business acumen in management, marketing, digital strategy, branding, and artist relations, Marcelo Castello Branco recently founded Brazil's MCB (Music Content Branding). His impressive and results-oriented résumé includes roles as president/general manager of several Latin American and European entertainment divisions for companies such as EMI Music (South and Central America), Universal Music Iberian Peninsula, Universal Music — Southern Cone (Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia), PolyGram Brazil, and PolyGram Chile. He has held leadership roles in trade associations such as ABPD, Apdif Brazil and IFPI Latin America.
Latin GRAMMY winner and Latin Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Johnny Ventura began his musical career at age 16. He is an internationally renowned singer, performer and band leader and is recognized as the father of contemporary merengue, developing and modernizing the sound in the early '60s. Throughout his career he has recorded more than 100 albums and served as the former mayor of his hometown of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic and he has proven to be a savvy and an effective entrepreneur in the American market.
Venezuelan international television executive Luis Villanueva has made significant contributions to the Hispanic entertainment market. He is the president/CEO of SomosTV, featuring two television networks ViendoMovies and Semillitas, and oversees distribution and production for the Somos brands as well as the SomosSHOW moniker, which is dedicated to organizing and producing public events in the Western Hemisphere. He is the former president of Venevision International.
About Gabriel Abaroa Jr.
Throughout his tenure as President/CEO, Abaroa has provided overall direction and repositioned the goals of the organization while maintaining its financial health. In 2005 the annual Latin GRAMMY Awards telecast moved from CBS to Univision, giving the show and its new TV home record-breaking ratings. Additionally, the Latin GRAMMYs have been held in different cities, bringing the excitement of Latin music to such places as Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Houston, and Las Vegas. He has led the way in making the Latin GRAMMY Awards a point of reference within the music community both domestically and worldwide.
Additionally, Abaroa has been actively involved in expanding the Latin GRAMMY brand internationally with special educational programs, panels and concerts produced in various cities and countries throughout the world, including Bogotá, Colombia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Madrid, Spain; Mexico City; and San Juan, Puerto Rico, among many others. Additionally, under his administration he advanced the Latin GRAMMY in the Schools program, which unites musicians and music professionals with high school students to educate them on the various facets of the music industry. The program has taken place in schools across the United States and recently expanded to include schools in Mexico, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic.
Before becoming President in 2003, Abaroa served as the Vice Chair of The Latin Recording Academy Board of Trustees. Prior to that, he also held the position of CEO at both Wireless Latin Entertainment and IFPI Latin America, the international recording industry association. He participates at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences as a member of the Spanish Language Task-force, the Kennedy Center of the Performing Arts as part of their Artist Advisory Committee, the USO as entertainment advisory council member and the Association of Mexican Entrepreneurs as a member of the executive committee, Florida chapter.
Abaroa reports to the Board of Trustees of The Latin Recording Academy and leads a staff that works in Los Angeles and Miami.
The Latin Recording Academy is an international, membership-based organization comprised of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking recording artists, musicians, songwriters, producers and other creative and technical recording professionals. The organization is dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for Latin music and its makers. In addition to producing the Latin GRAMMY Awards to honor excellence in the recorded arts and sciences, The Latin Recording Academy provides educational and outreach programs for the Latin music community. For more information about The Latin Recording Academy, please visit LatinGRAMMY.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @LatinGRAMMYs on Twitter, like "Latin GRAMMYs" on Facebook , and join the Latin GRAMMYs' social communities on Foursquare, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, and YouTube.
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Media Contact: Lourdes López Patton/The Latin Recording Academy/310.392.3777/lourdesl@grammy.com
