UTA has brought on veteran music exec and entrepreneur Bob Roback to be its chief operating officer, the agency announced Wednesday.
He will report to UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer and president David Kramer. Additionally, Roback will join the agency’s board of directors.
Roback takes over the COO role from Andrew Thau, who will continue as co-head of UTA Sports. As COO, Roback’s responsibilities include overall business operations and overseeing areas such as growth, strategy and technology, with a focus on efficiency and innovation across the enterprise.
“I’m delighted to welcome Bob Roback to UTA,” Zimmer said in a statement to TheWrap. “Throughout his accomplished career, Bob has built and led multiple businesses at the intersection of entertainment and technology, and he will be a valued partner at UTA as we help our clients thrive in an increasingly global and complex marketplace.”
Zimmer continued, “I also want to acknowledge the many contributions of Andrew Thau, who served as our COO since 2007 and became co-head of UTA Sports last year. I’m excited for what Andrew will accomplish as he focuses full-time on building out our sports presence in the global arena.”
UTA president Kramer added: “Bob’s experience and approach make him an ideal fit in UTA’s entrepreneurial and future-focused culture. Artists, athletes and brands are looking to participate globally across every part of the entertainment landscape, and Bob will help ensure we continue to operate at a level that exemplifies best-in-class representation.”
“I’ve long admired UTA’s dedication to its clients and ability to lead the way in defining what it means to be a global agency during a time of tremendous change and opportunity,” Roback said. “I’m thrilled to be joining the company at this exciting time and look forward to shaping the future with UTA’s talented and ambitious team.”
Roback’s career spans content, digital services and consumer products, as well as business-to-business platforms and marketplaces. Most recently, he spent seven years as CEO of Ingrooves Music Group, a technology-led music and marketing business that is now part of Universal Music Group.
Prior to that, Roback served as president and a member of the board of directors of Fender Musical Instruments Corp. He also co-founded several companies, including Dashbox, The Media Farm and LAUNCH Media, which became Yahoo Music.