Ethiopia Habtemariam (, , ) is the former Chair/CEO of

Motown Records Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmant ...

. She is

Ethiopian-American Ethiopian Americans are Americans of Ethiopian descent, as well as individuals of American and Ethiopian ancestry. History In 1919, an official Ethiopian goodwill mission was sent to the United States to congratulate the Allied powers on thei ...

. She was born on 24 September 1979 in Berkeley, California. In 1994, at the age of 14, Habtemariam began interning at

LaFace Records LaFace Records was an American record label based in Atlanta, Georgia, that operated as a unit of Sony Music Entertainment from 2008 to 2011 and was historically a part of Bertelsmann Music Group from 1989 to 2004. It was most active and achiev ...

, a label created by former Chairman and CEO of

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. This internship lasted 4 years. Shortly after, Ethiopia began working with

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...

. In 2011, Habtemariam was named the Senior Vice President of

, working with artists

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Erykah Badu Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu (), is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Influenced by rhythm and blues, R&B, Soul music, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the ...

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, Kem, BJ the Chicago Kid, Stacey Barthe, and more. Billboard named Habtemariam to both their 30 Under 30 and 40 Under 40 lists. In 2013, The Hollywood Reporter's “Women in Music” issue and

Variety Magazine ''Variety'' is an American media company owned by Penske Media Corporation. The company was founded by Sime Silverman in New York City in 1905 as a weekly newspaper reporting on theater and vaudeville. In 1933 it added ''Daily Variety'', based ...

named her to their "Women's Impact List." In 2014, Habtemariam was promoted to President of Motown Records and currently serves as the President of Motown Records and President of Urban Music/Co-Head of Creative at Universal Publishing Music Group in the United States. At the age of 16, Habtemariam wrote a letter to Sylvia Rhone, in awe of the fact that a black woman was the chair of a major record label. Once Habtemariam herself became a record executive and President of Motown Records, she received a similar fan letter. Her fan, a 16-year-old student enrolled in a Bonus Tracks music program, wrote about how the image of black woman in a position of power was influencing young students of color. During her internship at LaFace, Habtemariam was exposed to numerous examples of women of color in the industry. She cites her strong examples of female leadership as her motivation to help young girls come up into positions of power. In an interview with

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

, Habtemariam discussed how, as a black woman, she had to prove herself to those who doubted her: “I heard people say, ‘Oh, she got the job just because she's a black woman and they're just trying to cover their asses,’” she says. “OK, cool. Even if that was the case, it's on me. What am I going to do to make an impact and assure that other people get these kinds of opportunities in the future? Plus, I love proving people wrong.” Habtemariam has said that with the support of family and communities, women of color can shift their focus to become significant parts of the music industry. Habtemariam announced her departure from Motown Records on November 29, 2022.https://www.billboard.com/pro/motown-records-chief-ethiopia-habtemariam-leaving-label/ Motown Records Chief Ethiopia Habtemariam Is Stepping Down

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Habtemariam, Ethiopia 21st-century American businesspeople American people of Ethiopian descent 1979 births Living people