AEG Presents Names David Rappaport and Michael Harrison to Key Roles in Global Touring Division

By Variety Staff

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Just weeks after Presents announced the formation of AEG Global Touring , the company has hired several industry veterans to fill key positions in the new division: David Rappaport (pictured above, right) will serve as Chief Operating Officer and Michael Harrison (left) has been named Senior Vice President, it was announced by Gary Gersh, President AEG Presents Global Touring and Talent.  Both executives will be based in Los Angeles.

The company also announced that former StubHub senior executive Michelle Swing will be joining the new Global Touring division as Director of Artist Development, while Victoria Torchia, who most recently served as Head of Marketing & Partner Management for AOL, has been named Head of Digital Marketing.

Gersh also announced that several executives currently based in New York will be transitioning into the new Global Touring division, including: Donna DiBenedetto, who has been promoted to VP Global Touring; Jenny Heifetz Henault, who was named Sr. Director Global Touring; Jessica Smith, who has been promoted to Sr. Manager of Marketing; and Derek Tucker, who was named Vice President of Ticketing in the new division. Nashville-based Laurel Hilburn has also been promoted to Manager of Touring.

“I am very excited by the additions of Michael, David, Michelle and Victoria,” Gersh said in a statement. “I have known Michael for many years through our long-term friendship with Frontier Touring. I have also known David through the years and have watched him progress from an attorney and partner to a successful executive at Google. Adding both Michelle and Victoria along with Michael and David, brings a wealth of knowledge to our growing team.

“I am also thrilled with the promotions of Donna, Jenny, Derek, Jessica and Laurel. It is gratifying to see our people move up internally and watch them thrive as we strongly position AEG Presents for continued growth in the global live touring industry.”

Most recently, Rappaport was Head of Artist Relations (Americas) at YouTube Music / Google Play Music, where he spearheaded new education and strategy initiatives geared towards artists, management companies and agencies. Prior to YouTube, Rappaport was an artist attorney, first at Davis Shapiro & Lewit and then at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips.

Harrison was previously tour director for Michael Gudinski’s Frontier Touring Company. He began his career as a booking agent in 1992, and assisted Frontier on Australian and New Zealand tours including Coldplay, Ministry of Sound, Muse, Norah Jones and Moby.