Round Hill Music, which manages a US$1.1 billion portfolio of music rights, has appointed Chad Doerge as President and Deputy Chief Executive Officer.
Doerge, who joins from AI-powered financial intelligence platform Aiera, brings more than 30 years of experience spanning institutional finance, investment research, and financial technology.
According to a press release, Doerge will work in close partnership with Round Hill Founder and CEO Josh Gruss and will serve on the private equity company’s executive management, investment, and valuation committees.
He will also oversee key operational areas, including acquisitions, portfolio management, investor relations, and data analytics.
Founded in 2010, Round Hill’s portfolio of over 200,000 copyrights includes songs by George Harrison, Elvis Presley, Bruno Mars, Chaka Khan, Morgan Wallen, the Goo Goo Dolls, Bryan Adams, Matchbox Twenty, Black Sabbath, The Killers, Meat Loaf, and Madonna.
Doerge joins during “a period of sustained momentum” at the firm, notes Round Hill, as it “continues to grow its portfolio and further expand its capacity to generate attractive returns to investors through the acquisition and active management of classic songs with proven longevity and commercial appeal”.
Earlier in his career, Doerge spent nearly two decades in investment banking and capital markets, including as a founding member of Deutsche Bank’s Global Capital Sales group, before becoming a Partner at Evercore ISI.
“Round Hill has spent sixteen years building one of the most respected platforms in music rights investment, and this appointment reflects the ambition we have for what comes next.”
Josh Gruss, ROUND HILL MUSIC
Round Hill says that Doerge’s expertise will support the company’s capital markets strategy, as well as the “development of proprietary tools to further enhance how music rights are measured, valued and monetized”.
“Round Hill has spent sixteen years building one of the most respected platforms in music rights investment, and this appointment reflects the ambition we have for what comes next,” said Gruss. “Chad’s combination of institutional finance credentials, hands-on experience building AI-driven analytical tools, and a genuine, lifelong connection to the music world is rare.
“He strengthens our executive team in exactly the areas that matter most as we continue to grow our investor base, sharpen our analytical capabilities and pursue high-quality catalog acquisitions. I am looking forward to building the next chapter of Round Hill with him as part of the team.”
“Round Hill has built something genuinely differentiated, with deep relationships across the music industry.”
Chad Doerge, ROUND HILL MUSIC
Doerge’s appointment is the latest in a series of senior hires at Round Hill, including Jeff Bunder as Global CFO, James King as Chief Capital Officer, and Katie Kowinski as Chief of Investor Relations and Business Development.
Doerge said: “Round Hill has built something genuinely differentiated, with deep relationships across the music industry, a strong acquisition track record and an institutional investor base that reflects the growing conviction in music copyright as a long-term asset class.
“It is a great honor to be joining Round Hill’s first-class team, and to have the opportunity to build on this strong foundation and help unlock the company’s next phase of growth, as we work to acquire, manage and protect some of the most time-tested songs in popular music.”
The firm recently acquired catalogs including those of Modern English, Vini Poncia, Terry Shaddick, Linus Eklow, Carmine Appice, Al Stewart, and Dirty Heads. Round Hill’s in-house team of around 50, based across New York, Nashville, Los Angeles, and London, manages and monetizes its portfolio across streaming, licensing, and sync.Music Business Worldwide
