BMI announces four executive promotions in Creative and Corporate Communications

BMI promotes four executives across Creative and Corporate Communications teams

June 3, 2026 By Rafaela Fornitani

BMI has promoted four executives across its Creative and Corporate Communications teams.

The promotions, announced on Wednesday (June 3), are based at the performing rights organization’s New York headquarters.

On the Creative side, John Ellwood has been promoted to Vice President, Creative, while Deirdre Chadwick has been upped to Assistant Vice President, Creative, Classical & Jazz.

In Corporate Communications, Jeff Gilligan has been elevated to Assistant Vice President, Creative Director, and Jodie Thomas has been promoted to Assistant Vice President, Corporate & Media Relations.

As VP, Creative, Ellwood works with BMI ‘s senior leadership to help shape the company’s strategic vision, focusing on its market share across genres and platforms.

He brings nearly 20 years of experience to a role that BMI says bridges music, law and technology.

Ellwood will continue to provide business and legal support during contract and business negotiations and catalog sales.

He joined BMI in 2007 and held various roles in the company’s legal department, including AVP, Legal.

Ellwood moved to the Creative team in 2022 as AVP, Strategy & Business Affairs, and will continue to report to VP, Strategy & Business Affairs, Creative Rafael Martinez .

As AVP, Creative, Classical & Jazz, Chadwick continues to oversee BMI’s Classical department and now leads all of its Jazz initiatives.

She manages royalty distributions for orchestral and large-ensemble classical concerts, and advises BMI ‘s jazz and classical composers and publishers on payment eligibility, work registrations, licensing and copyright.

Chadwick also directs the BMI Composer Awards , an annual competition for young classical composers that distributes prizes totaling $30,000 .

She oversees the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop , a New York-based program for emerging composers focused on big band and jazz orchestra composition.

Chadwick has served as President of the BMI Foundation since 2014 , and will continue to report to VP, Worldwide Creative Barbara Cane .

As AVP, Creative Director, Gilligan leads design and advertising company-wide across social media, digital platforms, BMI.com and physical branded materials.

His team’s work spans BMI award shows, the company’s “Your Music Moves Our World” ad campaign and its festival stages at Lollapalooza , Austin City Limits and SXSW .

It also covers BMI signature events including Rooftop on the Row, the Ryman/BMI Block Party and the BMI Acoustic Lounge series.

Gilligan joined BMI in 2019 and will continue to report to SVP, Chief Communications & Marketing Officer Liz Fischer .

Thomas was promoted to AVP, Corporate and Media Relations, after serving as Executive Director, Corporate Communications and Media Relations since joining BMI in 2015 .

She leads media relations teams in Los Angeles and New York , directing PR across genres including Pop/Indie, Hip-Hop and R&B, Broadway, Jazz, Latin, and Film, TV & Visual Media.

Thomas also works on communications and PR strategy for BMI ‘s Licensing department and spearheads the company’s Speakers Bureau, which connects executives with speaking opportunities at industry events.

Like Gilligan , she reports to Liz Fischer .

The promotions follow a period of leadership expansion at BMI .

In June 2025 , the company extended the contract of President & CEO Mike O’Neill through December 31, 2029. At the same time, BMI said it had hired three “seasoned executives” for the roles of Chief Financial Officer, Chief Technology Officer and Chief Transformation Officer.

BMI continued to strengthen its leadership ranks with several Creative team promotions in November 2025.

Earlier this year, in January 2026 , it named  Todd Horvath  as  President and Chief Operating Officer , reporting to CEO  Mike O’Neill .

Days later,  BMI   appointed   Pam Schoenfeld  as SVP, Chief Legal Officer.

In  May 2026 , the PRO  agreed to acquire  the cue-sheet management platform  Soundmouse  from music-tech company  Orfium .

BMI , which says it “represents the public performance rights in over  25 million  musical works created and owned by more than  1.4 million songwriters, composers and music publishers”, was acquired by a shareholder group led by private equity firm New Mountain Capital  in early  2024 .

The company switched from a not-for-profit to a for-profit business model in 2022. Music Business Worldwide

_Originally reported by [Music Business Worldwide](https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/bmi-promotes-four-executives-across-creative-and-corporate-communications-teams/)._