Bob Roback Stepping Down As Ingrooves Music Group Head 

Bob Roback: Moving On (Photo: LinkedIn)

BOB ROBACK is stepping down as CEO of INGROOVES MUSIC GROUP seven years after joining the company, it was reported by MUSIC BUSINESS WORLDWIDE.

ROBACK led the company to significant earnings increases and growth into AUSTRALIA, BRAZIL, JAPAN, INDIA, SOUTH AFRICA and SPAIN.

The L.A.-based company was sold to minority shareholder UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP in 2019. 

In a memo sent to his staff, ROBACK wrote: “[There] is no easy way to say that the time has come for me to pass the Ingrooves CEO torch and pursue new challenges. The same entrepreneurial spirit that brought me to Ingrooves is now drawing me to a new path.

“I have no doubt that Ingrooves will continue to succeed and innovate beyond expectations. I am proud of our team and grateful for all of the contributions you have each made.”

INGROOVES CFO JEFF CUATTO will head up an interim leadership team as ROBACK transitions out of the position over the next few months. 

ROBACK continued: “UMG is conducting an executive search for my replacement and remains committed to Ingrooves, our mission, and our global team.”

He also thanked UMG Chairman/CEO SIR LUCIAN GRAINGE as well as EVP/CFO BOYD MUIR for showing “tremendous support of our global mission to work with the best independent labels and artists in the world and to pursue unprecedented innovation in harnessing data and AI to pioneer new marketing methods”.

Two years ago, INGROOVES was granted a patent for AI-driven marketing tech.This year, it won another patent for marketing tech that it built in-house which “improves upon [our] ability to discover and deliver high-value streaming audiences."

ROBACK's memo contined: “When I joined INGROOVES as your CEO in 2015, I was excited to build a differentiated, strategic growth partner for independent labels and artists. The industry challenge then (and now) was for artists and labels to efficiently and effectively spend their time and money to break through the ocean of available content and build lasting audiences.

“As a music and technology entrepreneur, I was drawn to this opportunity for Ingrooves to innovate and become the industry leader in providing real value to a rapidly expanding market.

“Over nearly seven years, we have accomplished so much. We made early, substantial investments into data science, and built a world-class team of experts in all departments across the organization. Our acquisition by UMG in 2019 enabled us to ramp up our pace of global expansion and accelerate our creation of pioneering marketing methods to help our labels and artists become even more successful.

“Our stellar financial results, client base, and platform engagement metrics validate our strategy, and I am extremely proud of our work together.”

Prior to joining INGROOVES/ISOLATION NETWORK in 2015, ROBACK was President of FENDER MUSICAL INSTRUMENS CORP. He founded LAUNCH MEDIA with DAVE GOLDBERG as one of the world’s first digital music enterprises. The company was acquired by YAHOO. in 2001. As part of the sale, ROBACK became YAHOO!'s Head Of Music until 2007.

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