In our latest roundup, we present eight rising professionals from various parts of the biz whose dedication and effort make their superiors look good.

This week's entrants will also find their faces in our latest mag, which could make for a great (or dismal) conversation during Sunday brunch.

Carolina Boltiansky
Day to Day Manager, Best Friends Music

Boltiansky cherished working Coachella 2022 with Billie Eilish, FINNEAS, Bishop Briggs and Role Model. She also reveled in Eilish and FINNEAS’ 2024 Oscar win for Best Original Song. Now, she’s working on the rollout for Role Model’s Kansas Anymore, due 7/19, and is excited for new music from Briggs and Mimi Webb. She’s also gearing up for Role Model to go on tour with Gracie Abrams and Eilish’s HIT ME HARD AND SOFT Tour this fall. Boltiansky says her 94-year-old grandpa, @charmingcharlie1930 on TikTok, is Elish’s biggest fan. Our grandparents just fed us borscht.

Rob Wadlington
Senior Manager, A&R Admin, Red Bull Records

Wadlington treasures his early career days at Epic, where he developed a lasting bond with Grammy-winning producer Christopher “Tricky” Stewart, managing projects for stars like Ciara and Tamar Braxton and later working at Tricky’s RedZone Ent. Now at Red Bull Records, under the guidance of Kenny “Tick” Salcido, he’s finalizing projects, including new music from Blxst and James Vickery, plus the launch of House of Protection. Before the biz, Wadlington pursued a career as a music producer under the moniker Mancini, in honor of the legendary composer. We could definitely use an alias.

Diane Tran
Director of Marketing, Three Six Zero

Tran led the marketing for Calvin Harris’ Grammy-nominated, gold-certified hit, “Miracle,” which he performed with Ellie Goulding during his triumphant 2023 return to Coachella. She also masterminded the release strategies for Majid Jordan’s Good People, as well as Kid Cudi’s INSANO albums, which saw promotional stunts like 30-foot statues in major cities. Presently, she’s preparing for Harris’ headlining summer festivals and a star-studded residency in Ibiza. Diane is a former Taekwondo competitor; we have competition-level skills in surrendering.

James Janocha
Senior Manager, Digital Marketing, Primary Wave

Janocha shared a burger with Alice Cooper, drank tequila with Godsmack and was snowed in with Dave Grohl in Ashville. He recently secured the premiere of I Stand Alone: The Sully Erna Story on AXS TV and spearheaded the release of Godsmack’s catalog on vinyl. He’s also now overseeing campaigns for Cooper’s School’s Out and Elected, Def Leppard’s Pyromania 40 and working on a project for Layne Staley’s unpublished songs as well as collaborations with Sweetwater. Janocha played D1 inline hockey in college and lost every game. There’s an experience we can relate to.

Nicole Dupuis
Director, A&R Operations, EMPIRE

From serving as Chris Brown’s day-to-day during his Up Close and Personal Tour to navigating studio sessions with stars like T-Pain and Ludacris, spending Easter with Jimmy Iovine and more, Dupuis’ career has been packed with mind-blowing moments. At EMPIRE, she’s busy handling the A&R administration for global acts Asake, Fireboy DML, Tiwa Savage, Vedo, Yung Bleu, Tink and Inayah, among others. Dupuis once took a six-year hiatus from the biz to advocate for children in crisis. Most people wish we’d take a permanent leave.

Jose Abreu
VP, Digital Marketing & Streaming, Latin Iberia Region,
Sony Music Entertainment

For Abreu, nothing tops flying to his parents’ native country, the Dominican Republic, to be interviewed on TV while introducing a new Sony act to the audience. Presently, he’s diving into ambitious ideas and tactics for the roster while turbocharging SME’s productivity. “My dream is for everyone to have all the freedom to unleash their creativity and strategic prowess in their daily hustle,” he says. Abreu previously worked for the department of defense supporting the development of explosive systems for special forces. We once burned ourselves with a sparkler.

Jessica Breslow
Manager and A&R, KMGMT

Breslow is proud to have overseen A&R on three John Legend albums, including the Grammy-winning Bigger Love; one of her fondest memories was watching Legend, Ryan Tedder, Charlie Puth and Ian Kirkpatrick write the first single for LEGEND. More recently, she inked Huddy to KMGMT and oversaw the release of EP Love Bites on 5/15; the title track landed him on the cover of Spotify’s The Locker and in the #1 spot. Next up, he’s set to perform at Lollapalooza. Despite her busy schedule, Breslow’s never had coffee or soda. We would cease to exist.

Leo Arango
Artist Manager/CEO, Leal Asesores

From watching skyscrapers on TV in Medellín to strategizing in them in NYC and Miami, Arango’s come a long way. Recently, he was thrilled to see Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean perform during YG Marley’s at Coachella. Professionally, he’s managing Ryan Casto’s burgeoning career and navigating legal battles over his debut album, EL CANTANTE DEL GHETTO, which has proven both challenging and enriching. Away from the music and legal arenas, Arango escapes into the realms of fantasy and fiction through books. Us too, as long as the books have been turned into TV shows.