Warner Music Group has promoted Armin Zerza to the role of Chief Operating Officer, in addition to his existing position as Chief Financial Officer.
The move was announced by WMG CEO Robert Kyncl during the company’s fiscal second-quarter earnings call last Wednesday (May 7), with the expanded role taking effect the following day.
Within that quarter, WMG posted total revenue of USD $1.73 billion, up 12% year-on-year at constant currency.
Zerza‘s new remit as COO will encompass corporate development, central marketing, business and market intelligence, and WMX.
Kyncl told investors: “I want to share that starting tomorrow, in addition to continuing to serve as our CFO, [Armin] will also serve as our COO.”
“I wanted to thank Armin for the impact he has had on the organization and business in a short period of time, and I look forward to continuing partnering with him to deliver operational excellence, growth, and value creation.”
Kyncl later explained that the title change reflected how Zerza had already been operating within the company, rather than a sudden reorganization.
“We didn’t make any change, didn’t make an announcement – it’s just kind of like things have to work. And now we’ve hit our stride.”
Robert Kyncl on Warner’s Q1 and Armin Zerza’s new role
“This is something that actually has kind of been in practice,” Kyncl said during the Q&A portion of the call.
“Armin has added responsibilities along the way over the last 12 months, one by one.
“We didn’t make any change, didn’t make an announcement – it’s just kind of like things have to work. And now we’ve hit our stride.”
Kyncl said the move was driven by WMG‘s desire to “double down on operational excellence across the company and simplification, which then leads to a lot of automation through AI, which allows us to deliver more for artists and songwriters with the same team and grow our business rapidly”.
“Having a strong alignment between our financials, our budget management, forecasting – it’s just very, very closely tied to the operation of the company, and a role like that makes sense,” he added.
Zerza, for his part, said on the call: “In my new expanded role, I look forward to partnering with you and the team to continue driving top and bottom line growth while strengthening our operational, commercial and financial excellence at the company.”
The promotion arrives just over a year after Zerza joined Warner Music Group as CFO in May 2025, replacing Bryan Castellani.
Prior to joining WMG, Zerza spent a decade at gaming giant Activision Blizzard, where he served as both CFO and Chief Commercial Officer, and played a key role in the company’s $68.7 billion all-cash acquisition by Microsoft in 2023.
Before that, he held a series of senior finance roles at Procter & Gamble over more than 20 years, spanning North America, Europe and Latin America.
Zerza‘s elevation to COO comes against a backdrop of accelerating financial performance at WMG.
In the quarter ended March 31, 2026 – the results reported on the same call at which his promotion was announced – Warner Music Group posted total revenue of $1.73 billion, up 12% year-on-year at constant currency.
Adjusted OIBDA margin increased to 22.9% from 20.4% in the prior-year quarter
Recorded music subscription streaming revenue grew 15% on an adjusted basis in the quarter, benefiting from both market share gains and the contractual per-subscriber minimum increases that Kyncl has been championing since joining the company.
Zerza told analysts on the call that the company now expects to achieve the high end of its 150 to 200 basis points margin expansion target for fiscal 2026.
Since joining WMG, Zerza has been instrumental in a series of moves including the upsizing of the company’s catalog acquisition joint venture with Bain Capital to $1.65 billion in total capacity, plus the agreement to acquire independent music platform Revelator – a deal that Zerza called “an accelerant for profitable distribution revenue growth and market share expansion”.
He has also been a key figure in WMG‘s AI licensing strategy alongside Kyncl, with the company striking deals with Suno, Udio, and Stability AI.
On the latest earnings call, Zerza said the Suno partnership – which he noted is currently generating $300 million in annualized revenue – “will begin to contribute materially to our subscription streaming revenue growth starting in fiscal 2027”.Music Business Worldwide
Warner Music Group (WMG) has recently promoted Armin Zerza to the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO), in addition to his existing responsibilities as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). This announcement was made by WMG CEO Robert Kyncl during the company’s fiscal second-quarter earnings call on May 7, with the new responsibilities taking effect immediately. In the second quarter, WMG reported total revenue of $1.73 billion, marking a 12% increase year-on-year when adjusted for constant currency.
Kyncl expressed appreciation for Zerza’s contributions to the organization, stating, “I want to thank Armin for the impact he has had on the organization and business in a short period of time.” He highlighted that Zerza’s new role would include overseeing corporate development, central marketing, business and market intelligence, and WMX. Kyncl emphasized that the promotion reflects Zerza’s current operating role within the company, indicating that the changes had been in practice for some time, rather than being a sudden reorganization. Kyncl explained, “We didn’t make any change, didn’t make an announcement – it’s just kind of like things have to work. And now we’ve hit our stride.”
The decision to elevate Zerza to COO aligns with WMG’s commitment to enhancing operational excellence and simplifying processes, which Kyncl suggested would support increased automation through artificial intelligence (AI). This approach is intended to help the company deliver more value to artists and songwriters while simultaneously fostering rapid business growth. Kyncl noted that a strong alignment between financial management and operational activities is crucial, indicating that Zerza’s expanded role would facilitate this integration.
In his remarks, Zerza expressed enthusiasm about his new position, stating, “In my new expanded role, I look forward to partnering with you and the team to continue driving top and bottom line growth while strengthening our operational, commercial and financial excellence at the company.” His promotion comes just over a year after he joined WMG as CFO in May 2025, taking over from Bryan Castellani.
Before joining WMG, Zerza had a notable career at Activision Blizzard, where he spent a decade and held the positions of CFO and Chief Commercial Officer. During his tenure, he played a significant role in the company’s $68.7 billion acquisition by Microsoft in 2023. Zerza also has extensive experience from his previous work at Procter & Gamble, where he held senior finance roles across North America, Europe, and Latin America for over 20 years.
Zerza’s promotion coincides with WMG’s impressive financial performance. In the quarter ending March 31, 2026, the company reported a revenue increase of 12% year-on-year, with an adjusted OIBDA margin rising to 22.9%, up from 20.4% in the previous year. The growth in recorded music subscription streaming revenue was particularly noteworthy, increasing by 15% on an adjusted basis, a result attributed to both market share gains and contractual subscriber minimum increases that Kyncl has been advocating since joining WMG.
During the earnings call, Zerza conveyed optimism about the company’s financial trajectory, stating that WMG anticipates achieving the upper end of its margin expansion target for fiscal 2026, which ranges from 150 to 200 basis points. Since his arrival, Zerza has been pivotal in various strategic initiatives, including the expansion of WMG’s catalog acquisition joint venture with Bain Capital to a total capacity of $1.65 billion. Additionally, he played a crucial role in the acquisition of independent music platform Revelator, which he described as a significant driver for profitable distribution revenue growth and market share expansion.
Zerza has also been instrumental in WMG’s AI licensing strategy, collaborating with Kyncl to secure partnerships with companies such as Suno, Udio, and Stability AI. On the recent earnings call, he highlighted that the partnership with Suno is currently generating $300 million in annualized revenue, which is expected to significantly contribute to WMG’s subscription streaming revenue growth starting in fiscal 2027.
In summary, Armin Zerza’s promotion to COO at Warner Music Group reflects both his impactful contributions over the past year and the company’s ongoing commitment to operational excellence and growth. With a strong background in finance and commercial strategy, Zerza is well-positioned to lead WMG into its next phase of expansion and innovation, particularly in the evolving landscape of music streaming and digital distribution.
