Concord COO Glen Barros exits company after 25 years, launches new venture
Tim InghamDecember 20, 2019
Glen Barros is leaving his role as Concord’s Chief Operating Officer on December 31.
According to an announcement from Concord, the exec is exiting the company in order to form a new business venture entitled Exceleration Music.
Through this new venture, Barros plans to invest in music rights while “providing strategic services to third party entities, primarily within the independent music community”.
His first investment, which Concord says has been made with its blessing, will be the acquisition of London-based jazz label, Candid Records.
According to a statement from Concord, Barros and the remaining Concord executive team are “exploring further ways in which Concord and Exceleration may collaborate on future business initiatives”.
Barros’ history with Concord began 25 years ago when, in December 1994, as a 28-year-old executive with Alliance Entertainment, he closed a deal to purchase the Concord Jazz label from its founder, Carl Jefferson.
“I am eternally grateful for all that I’ve experienced over the past twenty-five years at Concord and for the company’s help in allowing me to launch Exceleration Music.”
Glen Barros
Barros assumed the role of President & CEO for Concord Jazz when Jefferson passed away a few months later. From that point forward, Barros implemented a strategy that saw the company grow from a traditional jazz label into Concord Music Group, one of the largest independent music companies in the world today.
In 2015, Concord Music Group merged with independent music publisher Bicycle Music. Barros became COO of the new company in 2017 after its acquisition of Imagem Music Group, at which time Concord Music Group, Bicycle and Imagem divisions were all consolidated under the Concord name.
Scott Pascucci, Concord’s Chief Executive Officer, commented, “It’s been my privilege to work with Glen for almost seven years. The care and passion with which he led and grew Concord Music Group for decades has carried on into the current Concord and will surely continue after his departure. We are thankful for his dedication to the company and look forward to collaborating with him in the future.”
 “The care and passion with which Glen led and grew Concord Music Group for decades has carried on into the current Concord and will surely continue after his departure.”
Scott Pascucci, Concord
Glen Barros stated, “I am eternally grateful for all that I’ve experienced over the past twenty-five years at Concord and for the company’s help in allowing me to launch Exceleration Music. It’s been an amazing ride and Concord will forever be in my heart. While leaving is incredibly difficult, I know that Concord is in great hands and will undoubtedly continue to flourish long into the future. When I look forward to my new venture, I’m tremendously excited by the prospect of using my past experiences to help others achieve their strategic goals in the future. And I find it very fitting that I begin this second act of my career the same way that I started the first one…with a great jazz label.”
Exceleration Music will commence operations when it closes its transaction to buy Candid Records from its current owners, Alan and Nieves Bates, on January 1, 2020.
The Candid catalog includes recordings from jazz and blues greats such as Charles Mingus, Abbey Lincoln, Otis Spann, Max Roach and Memphis Slim, as well as more contemporary records from artists such as Stacey Kent, Jamie Cullum, Kenny Barron and Kyle Eastwood.
[Pic credit: Beth Herzhaft]Music Business Worldwide
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