Juan S. Arenas named president of expanded Global Label Services division supporting artists across international markets
Hybe, the K-pop agency behind BTS, is bringing its music distribution, marketing and promotional operations under a unified global structure to strengthen support for artists across its international labels.
The company said Tuesday that it had expanded its existing Label Services organization into Global Label Services, appointing Juan S. Arenas, chief intellectual property officer of Hybe America, as president of the revamped division.
The restructuring aims to give Hybe's labels access to shared distribution networks, marketing expertise and promotional resources across markets, strengthening coordination as the company expands its music business beyond South Korea.
"The restructuring of Global Label Services is part of our efforts to build a global infrastructure that strengthens music distribution, marketing, promotion and publicity for Hybe artists operating worldwide from our bases in South Korea, Japan, the United States, Latin America and India," Hybe CEO Lee Jae-sang said. "It also marks the starting point of our strategy to expand and advance our business infrastructure."
The division will oversee global distribution strategies, supply chain management and partnerships with regional distributors and digital streaming platforms, while coordinating marketing, promotion and publicity tailored to individual markets.
The new structure will support both South Korean artists expanding overseas and artists signed to Hybe's international labels seeking to enter South Korea and other markets.
The move advances Hybe's "multi-home, multi-genre" strategy, which focuses on developing artists and music businesses in multiple countries and musical areas rather than relying solely on exporting K-pop from South Korea. Under its multilabel model, individual labels manage their own artists while drawing on shared infrastructure and services provided by the parent company.
Hybe established Label Services in the US under its Hybe 2.0 growth strategy in 2024 before extending its support to South Korea and other markets. The latest restructuring brings those operations into a unified global framework.
As part of the overhaul, Hybe also announced several senior appointments to strengthen distribution and artist support.
Nicole Csabai, formerly senior vice president of revenue at Interscope Records, has been appointed senior vice president of global distribution. Based in Nashville, she will oversee worldwide music distribution, partnerships, catalog management and relationships with digital streaming platforms.
Hybe has also created an Artist Success Unit to coordinate projects for individual artists and serve as a central point of contact between its labels and global support services.
Melissa Victor-Burkhardt, previously senior vice president overseeing publicity and brand strategy at Epic Records, has been appointed executive vice president to lead the unit.
Johanna Fuentes, a public relations executive with experience at CBS and Warner Bros. Entertainment, will work alongside Arenas on artist publicity within Global Label Services.
The reorganization follows Hybe's recent appointment of Jenni Pfaff as chief people and transformation officer, a newly created role overseeing talent management and organizational changes across its operations in South Korea, Japan, the US, Latin America, China and India.
Pfaff previously held the same position at Hybe America and Hybe Latin America.
jaaykim@heraldcorp.com
