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\n\tSony Music Publishing has promoted Katie Welle<\/strong> to president and head of U.S. A&R, effective Feb. 1. Welle will succeed Walter Jones<\/strong>, who is leaving the company after nearly three years in the role.<\/p>\n \n\tIn her new position, which is based in Los Angeles and reports up to SMP chairman and CEO Jon Platt<\/strong>, Welle will lead the creative team in attracting top talent and expanding opportunities for songwriters globally.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tWith two decades of A&R experience at Sony Music Group, Welle started as an A&R assistant at Epic Records in 2005 and later became vp of creative at Sony Music Publishing and senior vp of A&R at RCA before rejoining SMP in 2020 as senior vp of creative.<\/p>\n \n\tSince then, Welle has played a key role in advancing the careers of many SMP songwriters, including Charlie Handsome and Theron Thomas, and the recently signed Tyler Johnson and Julian Bunetta.<\/p>\n \n\tPlatt praised Welle\u2019s talent for identifying and nurturing songwriters during her second act at SMP.\u00a0 <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cSince she returned to SMP five years ago, she has made significant contributions to our A&R strategy, playing a pivotal role in shaping the success of numerous incredible songwriters,\u201d he said. \u201cKatie\u2019s dedication and expertise are truly invaluable to our team, and I look forward to seeing the continued impact of her leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tJones, Welle\u2019s predecessor as head of U.S. A&R, joined SMP<\/a> in February 2022 after a five-year tenure at Universal Music Publishing Group. Earlier in his career, Jones held the position of vp of urban A&R at Sony\/ATV, before it rebranded as SMP.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n