Universal Music Group names Libby Bush to lead global brands partnerships

Universal Music Group has appointed Libby Bush as President, Global Brands and Commercial Partnerships. The role is new. She will start in November.

Bush will be based in Los Angeles and will report to chief operating officer Boyd Muir, according to Music Business Worldwide. The company confirmed the appointment on 29 September.

She will lead a new centralised global function. It brings together Universal’s brands, media and commercial partnership businesses, including Universal Music Group for Brands. That is the division that connects artists and recordings with advertisers, sponsors and media platforms, from licensed songs in commercials to wider joint campaigns.

The job pulls several strands of commercial work under one leader. In a large record company, that can mean sponsorship deals, brand-funded content and partnerships that use music across advertising and media. Centralising them means one team sets strategy across different countries, rather than each local office arranging its own deals alone.

Bush joins from Creative Artists Agency, the talent and sports agency. There she served as Global Head of Entertainment Partnerships, brokering deals between stars and large brands. She was also a member of the agency’s board, which oversees the company’s direction.

Brand and label tie-ups have become a routine part of the music business. They sit alongside recorded music, publishing splits, which divide song ownership and income, and live income as another way for rights holders and artists to earn. A recent example came in June 2025, when The Coca-Cola Company launched the record label real thing records in partnership with Universal Music Group.

Bush also has boardroom experience outside talent representation. In July 2024, Turtle Beach Corporation, which makes headsets and audio equipment for gamers, appointed her to its board, as reported by Yahoo Finance. That appointment was separate from her agency role.

What makes this stand out is the shape of the new post. Universal has created a single worldwide brief for brands and commercial deals. One person now carries responsibility for joining those businesses together.

For listeners, most of this work happens out of sight. It helps decide which songs appear in adverts, which artists front campaigns and how those agreements are organised across markets.