Michele Anthony
B.A. ’77
Entertainment Executive
Monumental Achievement: Music is woven throughout the life and career of Michele Anthony, executive vice president of Universal Music Group, where she serves on the executive management board and oversees the company’s U.S. labels, Universal Music Canada, Universal Music Enterprises, as well as the company’s global brand partnerships. She has been recognized throughout her career for her professional achievements and leadership around issues including women’s rights, environmental advocacy, education, and global poverty. Among her many honors are being named by Billboard magazine as the top female executive in music in 2014 and being cited as the 2017 Music Visionary of the Year by the UJA-Federation of New York.
"My time at George Washington University is among the most wonderful and significant periods in my life. I grew up in the music business, working at my dad’s management company from the time that I was 12. College hadn’t been at the top of my plans, however, my mom insisted I apply. I can still remember receiving my acceptance letter while in Japan with Humble Pie. I didn’t know what to expect — I was the first in my immediate family to go to college. Campus life initially was a bit of a culture shock but after a single philosophy class by Dr. T.Z. Lavine, I quickly picked my major. For the first time, I was inspired academically and immersed myself in the great philosophers and coursework. In my junior year, while on the road with Peter Frampton, I learned about the emerging area of music law and I knew, combined with my management experience, I could further help artists that I wanted to manage. Thanks to the foundation I received from GW, I not only accomplished that goal, but it began a career journey that would lead to senior management roles with the world’s biggest music companies."
Biography
Michele Anthony is executive vice president of Universal Music Group (UMG) and a member of the executive management board, where she plays a key role in the development of the company’s business strategy and helps manage its iconic record labels. Prior to joining UMG, she founded 7H Entertainment, a consulting and management firm whose clients included Pearl Jam, Prince, Black Sabbath & Ozzy Osbourne, Björk and Soundgarden, among others. Before 7H Entertainment, Anthony served as president and chief operating officer of Sony Music Label Group U.S. and earlier was a partner in the music department at the law firm of Manatt, Phelps, Rothenberg & Phillips.
In 2014, Billboard magazine named Anthony the top female executive in the publication’s annual Women in Music issue, and in 2017, the UJA-Federation of New York named Anthony its Music Visionary of the Year for her exceptional professional accomplishments and commitment to philanthropy, becoming the first woman to receive this award as a solo honoree. Anthony serves on the boards of several organizations, including The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), She Is The Music, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Global Citizen, where she helped found the annual Global Citizen Festival in New York. She received a B.A. in philosophy from GW’s Columbian College in 1977 and graduated, Order Of The Coif, from the University of Southern California’s School of Law.