NEAR TRUTHS:
GONE COMMERCIAL

Mike Chester’s promotion at Warner, which puts the reins of Commerce in the EVP’s hands aside his Promotion leadership, has occasioned some buzz. It’s somewhat unusual for promo people to be awarded a gig that typically falls to sales execs. But Chester’s unique background with Scooter Braun’s SB Projects gave him a bigger brief as a liaison to artists like Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande, and in that position he developed relationships across the biz, notably at DSPs. No one else at Warner has Chester’s unusual skill set, making him the natural choice for this expanded role.