Sylvia Rhone

Sylvia M. Rhone is Chairman & CEO (Since April 2019), Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. Prior to this appointment, Rhone held the position of president at Epic since 2014.

Work Experience

• She also served as Chairman & CEO of Vested in Culture (VIC), her joint venture with Epic Records (30/01/2013). She previously served as President of Universal Motown Records and executive VP of Universal Records from 2004 to May 2011.
• Born in Philadelphia and raised in New York City's Harlem, Ms. Rhone became the first black woman to head a major record company, when she was appointed president/CEO of Eastwest Records in 1990.
• In late 1991, Atlantic formed a new label, Atco/EastWest, to encompass a broader range of musical artists. Atlantic later dropped Atco, and Ms. Rhone was named chairman and chief executive officer of her own label, EastWest Records America.
• In 1994, Ms. Rhone became chairman/CEO of Elektra Records which eventually became Elektra Entertainment Group, whose roster included rapper Missy Elliott, Metallica, Jet, Fabolous and Yolanda Adams. "The Elektra Entertainment Group was one of the most actualized examples of diversity in action at a company that I've ever seen," said Ms. Rhone.

Board and Advisor Roles

• Ms. Rhone is a member of the board of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Accolades

• Ms. Rhone received an honorary doctorate from the Berklee College of Music on April 5, 2019, in recognition of her career achievements as a leading female music executive who has reached the status of label head multiple times, and for her influence on the music industry through her leadership.
• She was named an Alumni Trustee of the University of Pennsylvania, and is a recipient of the Black Alumni of Pratt\'s Lifetime Achievement Award.
• Ms. Rhone is an inductee of the National Association of Black Female Executives In Music And Entertainment Hall Of Fame.
• She was awarded the Turner Broadcasting 2004 Trumpet Award, which heralds the accomplishments of distinguished African Americans around the globe in fields as diverse as law, politics, and entertainment.
• Ms. Rhone was the first woman to receive the Music Business’ Association Presidential Award for Sustained Achievement.  She has also received Essence’s Black Women in Music Trailblazer Award and the 2011 Keepers of the Dream Award.

Education

Ms. Rhone received a degree in economics from the prestigious Wharton School of Finance and Commerce at the University of Pennsylvania.