Tejeda will oversee the company’s brand strategy and marketing, global communications and public relations, industry relations, and public policy groups as well as a team of nearly two dozen marketing and communications professionals, multiple partners, and agency relationships.
“The music industry is at a pivotal point, with the transformation to digital requiring us to rethink the rules and so much at stake for creators of all types,” said Huppe. “Esther brings a unique blend of experience, talent, and ability to find innovative solutions that will enable SoundExchange to drive positive change in the industry and advocate on behalf of music creators. I’m thrilled to welcome Esther as part of our team.”
Before joining SoundExchange, Tejeda was senior vice president and head of corporate communications at Entercom, where she structured the company’s first strategic communications organization. At Entercom, she directed the integrated communications for the company’s acquisition of CBS Radio and the launch of its digital streaming platform, Radio.com, and developed communications architecture for its portfolio of radio stations, digital audio and podcast brands, and live concerts and events. A seasoned veteran of the entertainment industry, Tejeda has held executive positions at Univision, PepsiCo, Diageo, and others.
An industry leader, she serves on the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Women in Media and previously served on the Board of Directors of the Hispanic Public Relations Association. In the last two years, she was recognized as a Women to Watch (PR Week, 2019), Top Women in PR (PR News, 2019), Maverick of the Year (Stevies – Women in Business, 2019), and Media Relations Professional of the Year (Ragan’s/PR Daily, 2018). She was named among the Most Influential Women in Radio (Radio Ink Magazine) for the past three consecutive years.
“I am thrilled to be part of the SoundExchange mission and to serve as a passionate advocate for our community of over 200,000 music creators,” said Tejeda. “SoundExchange is at the critical intersection of music, technology and data in today’s digital-first world and is uniquely positioned to help shape the future of music during this transformational time.”
SoundExchange embodies how innovation is remaking the music industry, playing a leading role in distributing royalties to creator groups, advocating for fair pay across all platforms, and creating systems that improve how the industry operates. SoundExchange has long been setting industry standards with the speed and efficiency of their payments, and the transparency of their reporting. Now, with the addition of services for music publishers, the creation of its MDX platform to help link recordings to songs for new releases, and its designation as the authoritative source of ISRC data in the U.S., SoundExchange’s footprint in the industry continues to grow.