WMG 8-K
Warner Music Group Corp. (WMG)
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): July 31, 2026 (
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
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| Item 5.02. | Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers. |
Departure of Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer
On July 31, 2026, Armin Zerza stepped down for personal reasons as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Warner Music Group Corp. (the “Company”). The Company has commenced a search for a new Chief Financial Officer.
Appointment of Acting Chief Financial Officer
In connection with Mr. Zerza’s departure, the Company appointed Louis Dickler to serve as the Company’s Acting Chief Financial Officer, effective July 31, 2026. Mr. Dickler served as the Company’s Acting Chief Financial Officer from November 11, 2021 to February 15, 2022 in connection with a temporary medical leave of absence taken by a former Chief Financial Officer of the Company. Mr. Dickler, age 48, has served as the Company’s Senior Vice President, Global Controller and Chief Accounting Officer since October 2011. Mr. Dickler began his career in the professional services industry as an audit manager at KPMG, before joining the Company as Associate Director of Corporate Finance in May 2005. In addition to serving as Acting Chief Financial Officer of the Company, Mr. Dickler will continue to serve as Senior Vice President, Global Controller and Chief Accounting Officer of the Company.
There are no arrangements or understandings between Mr. Dickler and any other person or persons pursuant to which Mr. Dickler was appointed as the Company’s Acting Chief Financial Officer, and there is no family relationship between Mr. Dickler and any other director or executive officer of the Company or any person nominated or chosen by the Company to become a director or executive officer. There are no transactions between the Company and Mr. Dickler that are reportable pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
Appointment of Chief Operating Officer
In connection with Mr. Zerza’s departure, the Company appointed Co-Chairman and COO of Warner Records, Tom Corson, to serve as the Company’s Chief Operating Officer, effective July 31, 2026. Mr. Corson will also continue to serve as Co-Chairman and COO of Warner Records for a transition period. Mr. Corson, age 66, has served as Co-Chairman and COO of Warner Records since January 2018. Mr. Corson came to the Company from RCA Music Group where he spent nearly 18 years, ascending to President & COO. He began his music industry career as a college intern at IRS Records. Upon graduating from UCLA with a B.A. in Business/Economics in 1982, he joined the label as Director of West Coast Sales. He moved to A&M Records in 1985, advancing to VP of Marketing. Mr. Corson spent 1990 to 1996 at Capitol Records, where he was SVP of Marketing. From 1996 to 2000, he was SVP of Marketing at Columbia Records.
There are no arrangements or understandings between Mr. Corson and any other person or persons pursuant to which Mr. Corson was appointed as the Company’s Acting Chief Operating Officer, and there is no family relationship between Mr. Corson and any other director or executive officer of the Company or any person nominated or chosen by the Company to become a director or executive officer. There are no transactions between the Company and Mr. Corson that are reportable pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
| Item 9.01. | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
(d) Exhibits.
| Exhibit Number |
Description | |
| 99.1 | Press Release dated July 31, 2026 | |
| 99.2 | Press Release dated July 31, 2026 | |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document). | |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| Warner Music Group Corp. | ||||||
| Date: July 31, 2026 | By: | /s/ Paul Robinson | ||||
| Paul Robinson Executive Vice President and General Counsel | ||||||
Exhibit 99.1
WARNER MUSIC GROUP ANNOUNCES FINANCE LEADERSHIP TRANSITION
NEW YORK, NY — July 31, 2026: Warner Music Group (Nasdaq: WMG) today announced that Armin Zerza, CFO & COO, has decided to step down from his role for personal reasons, effective immediately. He will remain available to the company through the end of the fiscal year to ensure a seamless transition.
WMG has initiated a formal search for its next CFO. In the interim, SVP, Global Controller and Chief Accounting Officer, Lou Dickler, a deeply respected finance leader within the organization, has been appointed Acting CFO. Dickler, who has previously served in this capacity, brings extensive financial expertise and deep knowledge of WMG’s operations, ensuring continuity and stability across the company’s financial operations.
“Armin has been an instrumental leader and member of the executive team during a crucial period of growth and transformation,” said Robert Kyncl, CEO of Warner Music Group. “We thank Armin for his outstanding business and financial leadership and enduring contributions to WMG, and we wish him all the best.”
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Exhibit 99.2
TOM CORSON PROMOTED TO CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF WARNER MUSIC GROUP
NEW YORK, NY — July 31, 2026: Warner Music Group (Nasdaq: WMG) today announced that Warner Records Co-Chairman and COO Tom Corson is promoted to Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the entire organization, reporting directly to WMG CEO Robert Kyncl.
Corson will now apply his deep domain expertise and operational rigor across the company, bringing global marketing, merch, D2C, supply chain and more under his purview, while continuing to drive strong momentum at Warner Records alongside Co-Chairman and CEO Aaron Bay-Schuck for a transitional period.
Robert Kyncl said: “Tom is one of the most dynamic, respected, and effective executives in the music business, and a fierce champion of talent. Together with Aaron, he’s helped architect Warner Records’ resurgence, and we’ll leverage his vision, disciplined execution, and deep experience across the entire company as we continue to deliver for our artists and songwriters while achieving our top and bottom line goals.”
Tom Corson said: “It’s an honor to step into this role during such a transformative era for both our company and the industry at large. A huge thanks to Robert for the opportunity, as well as to Aaron and the Warner Records team for the unforgettable run. I’m looking forward to building on our momentum, turbocharging operations, and creating even more impactful opportunities for our incredible artists and songwriters worldwide.”
Corson joined Warner Records in 2018 as Co-Chairman and COO and has been leading the label’s business operations, strategy, and commercial development ever since. Under Corson and Bay Schuck, the label has transformed into a powerhouse, gaining significant market share and delivering global chart-topping success for a wide range of marquee and breakout talent such as Madonna, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dua Lipa, Zach Bryan, Benson Boone, Michael Bublé, Teddy Swims, Linkin Park, Cody Johnson, and Sombr. Prior to joining Warner Music Group, Corson spent over four decades in senior leadership positions across major music groups, most recently serving as President and COO of RCA Music Group.
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