COLUMBIA PRESENTS THE RYAN RUDEN EXPERIENCE

Columbia Records has upped Ryan Ruden to SVP Experiential Marketing and Business Development. EVP/CFO Stephen Russo, to whom Ruden will continue to report, made the announcement. Ruden, hitherto VP Touring and Events, will add strategic marketing and biz partnerships to his purview, including badass sneaker endorsements for senior management.

Russo declared Ruden “a forward-thinking executive with a unique mix of experience and relationships in the agency, management, label, and live performance sectors of the music industry.” For his part, Ruden thanked Russo and label boss Ron Perry, and counted himself “thrilled for the opportunity to find new ways to serve our artists and connect them with their audiences globally.”

Ruden previously served at Interscope and Shady Records/Goliath Management and clocked time on the road with artists ranging from Mary J. Blige to Ozzy Osbourne. Though the latter experience affected him profoundly, he doesn't bite nearly as many bats as he used to.