The man who signed The Killers, Fall Out Boy and The Bravery to Island Def Jam is moving up in the ranks.

Rob Stevenson, who received the Pop Industry Award of 2005 from New York magazine in its “This Year’s Best--Cultural Elite” issue, has been promoted to Executive Vice President, A&R for IDJ Music Group by Chairman Antonio “L.A.” Reid. He was also named President of Stolen Transmission Records, his new joint venture label imprint with IDJMG. The N.Y.-based Stevensonwill report directly to Reid on all creative matters, and to Island Records President Steve Bartels on all operational matters.

Reid praised Stevenson as “an extraordinarily important force in A&Rnot only at IDJ, but for the entire business. With his signings of the Killers, Fall Out Boy, Thrice and the Bravery, among others, he has established an unparalleled track record in a relatively short time at Island Records. We look forward to his future discoveries as we welcome him to the senior management team of the Island Def Jam Music Group.”

Added Stevenson: “I look forward to continuing my journey at Island Def Jam alongside LA Reid, Steve Bartels and Shawn Carter. They have true integrity, insight and real respect for artists' visions making IDJ a very unique label. With the creation of Stolen Transmission I will continue to take risks, search for new opportunities and establish career artists.”

Stevenson's first signing to Stolen Transmission is Permanent Me, a "basement band" from Long Island whose self-produced demo recording Stevenson calls “one of the freshest and most exciting sounds I’ve heard in years, music made earnestly and excitingly by the band.” Their label debut, expected in the summer 2006, will be produced by Matt Squire (Panic! At The Disco).

Stevenson has served as Vice President, A&R, Island Records, since 2002, following two years as Director in the department. He first joined the company in 1998, as Manager, A&R, Mercury Records, a position he retained when Mercury was folded into the Island Def Jam Music Group the next year. Mr. Stevenson began his career in 1993 as an Assistant Account Executive at Ogilvy Mather. In 1994, he began a four-year stint at AAM (Advanced Alternative Media), an independent production, management, marketing and promotion company. Mr. Stevenson graduated in 1992 from Fairfield University in Connecticut with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Marketing and Emo Economics.