Cindy Mabe Steps Down as Universal Nashville CEO
In a long-rumored move, Cindy Mabe has stepped down from her position as chair and CEO of Universal Music Nashville after nearly 18 years with the company and two in the role, multiple sources confirm to Variety. Mabe took the role when longtime CEO Mike Dungan retired. She was the first woman to head of a major label group in Nashville.
Her successor was not immediately announced.
Mabe began her career at RCA Records in Nashville before moving over to Arista. She joined Capitol Nashville in 2007 — where she first worked with Dungan — as senior VP of marketing and moved to UMG Nashville when the companies merged in 2012, and was named president two years later.
Dungan long made it clear that he considered Mabe virtually his equal in running the company. Even as UMG Nashville’s second-in-command, Mabe was already the highest ranking executive in the country music industry, and with her soon-to-be-announced elevation,
Their dynasty together has been a long one. Mabe was appointed to the position of president back in 2014, two years after Dungan was named chairman/CEO. Their professional association goes back even further, though, than the eight years they have spent together in their current partnership at UMG Nashville, however. It dates back to 2008, when the two first began working together at the Capitol Nashville label
The UMG Nashville roster includes a disproportionate number of country’s top stars, including perennial Grammy and CMAs winner Chris Stapleton, whom Mabe championed from the start, along with hitmakers like Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Eric Church, Dierks Bentley, Darius Rucker, George Strait, Jon Pardi, Reba McEntire, Lady A, Little Big Town, Sam Hunt, Vince Gill, Parker McCollum, Jordan Davis and Tyler Hubbard. Country superstar Luke Bryan is one of Dungan’s biggest success stories, with the exec building the singer up from the club to the stadium label. Bryan landed his 30th career No. 1 airplay single with UMG in December.
