On 12/11, IGA topper John Janick informed the company that Neil Jacobson would be exiting as head of Geffen to pursue of his own ventures. His announcement and message of appreciation, along with Jacobson's statement, appear below.

Berklee College of Music grad Jacobson joined the label in 2003. His multi-function music company, Crescent Drive Productions, manages producer Jeff Bhasker, who just inked deals with Influence Media Partners and Merck Mercuriadis' Hipgnosis.

JOHN JANICK STATEMENT

To all IGA,

Nearly 10 years ago, while running Fueled By Ramen, I struck up a friendship with Neil Jacobson. He struck me as driven, smart and insightful and incredibly passionate about the music industry. He told me he was setting out to learn every aspect of the music business and that’s exactly what he did. At Interscope alone, over the past 17 years he has worked in international publicity and marketing, management and A&R.

When Neil agreed to take on the role of President of Geffen Records, he shared my vision of continuing the storied legacy of the Geffen brand. His vast knowledge of the business and keen eye for talent were essential as he moved the label forward. Neil did all of this buoyed by an intense entrepreneurial spirit, something we both share.

Recently, Neil came to me expressing his desire to leave Geffen to follow his entrepreneurial passions. Given my history, I feel compelled to support his decision and not stand in his way. Neil will remain at the company until the end of the year and will continue to assist through the transition.

We have an incredible team at Geffen who will be integral to the company moving forward. Over the next several months we will be announcing exciting new things for Geffen, a label which remains vital to the continued success of IGA.

John

NEIL JACOBSON STATEMENT

For the past 17 years, I have been fortunate to work here at Interscope. I’ve made lifelong friends and have had the privilege of working with many of the world’s most talented artists. Being the President of Geffen Records over the last three years has been the greatest honor of my career. There is no way to put into words how much my time here has meant to me, but after much reflection, I’ve decided to start my own venture, Crescent Drive Productions, an independent music management, publishing and record label. As our industry continues to grow and evolve through technology, music consumption, and artists’ direct relationships with their fans, I am excited about my new venture’s contributions to serve artists and fans worldwide.