Shortly after being named CEO of Independent Artist Group, the full-service agency resulting from the merger of APA and music touring agency Artist Group International, Jim Osborne has named Jarred Arfa, Executive Vice-President, Head of Global Music.
Arfa comes to IAG from AGI, where he was Chief Operating Officer, and in his new role will oversee day-to-day operations of the combined music departments under the IAG banner, reporting to Osborne. As at AGI, he will be responsible for business development, legal, financial and corporate reporting, overseeing artist tour contracts, VIP ticketing, sponsorship and brand partnerships. But at the expanded and rebranded agency, he will fulfill his duties with the added help of the infrastructure he inherits from APA, which in addition to music and comedy touring, also includes legal, tour marketing, branding and sponsorships departments.
Arfa will also continue to work closely going forward with Billy Joel’s team, assisting on his record-breaking MSG residency, running through next July, as well as other tour dates, while working on the teams of numerous other artists. Among the others in top roles at Independent Artist Group that Arfa will work with are the previously announced Dennis Arfa and Marsha Vlasic, who will respectively serve as Chairman and Vice-Chair of the Music Division.
Said Osborne of the company’s latest appointment, “Jarred has been instrumental in getting this partnership to the finish line. We have tremendous confidence in him to not only lead the day-to-day operations of our music department, but to help us grow it from here.”
Shared Ron Burkle, whose Yucaipa Entertainment acquired AGI in 2012, “We have relied on Jarred on so many levels over the years to not only oversee the operations of AGI, but to also assist us in furthering our investments in the music business.”
“Jarred has been an invaluable asset to us on so many levels,” stated Vlasic. “We have tremendous confidence in him to lead our efforts to integrate and grow our combined music assets enabling our artists and agents to thrive.”
Added Jarred Arfa, “I am excited to work with the outstanding young team of APA agents who have been thriving, particularly in urban, as we combine into one cohesive unit. I look forward to further offering crossover opportunities for our artists that Jim Osborne and his team have done such an amazing job at. Our plan is to grow the department with a quality over quantity ethos.”
While at AGI, Arfa was an instrumental advisor in the sale of AGI to The Yucaipa Companies in 2012 and later served as a conduit in Yucaipa’s investments in K2 and Danny Wimmer Presents. He began his career at Robert Silverman’s CKX Inc., where he served as Director of Muhammad Ali Enterprises and Director of Operations for Elvis Presley Enterprises.
