Jon Borris, Columbia Records Pop Promotion Executive, Exits Label (EXCLUSIVE)
By Shirley Halperin
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Jon Borris, a 12-year veteran of Columbia Records, is exiting the Sony Music label, Variety has learned. According to a source, the senior VP of pop promotion, who joined the company in 2006 after positions at sister label Epic Records, is leaving as part of Columbia chief Ron Perry’s efforts to restructure the staff. Perry took over as Chairman in January.
Borris’ contract had expired, added the insider. His follows recent exits of Columbia A&R executive Mark Williams and EVP of Marketing Doneen Lombardi.
Another source tells Variety that Borris is in talks for a position handling pop radio promotion for Big Machine Label Group, home to Taylor Swift and Florida Georgia Line, though that is unconfirmed.
At Columbia, Borris supervised Top 40 and pop radio promotion across multiple regions. In his previous title of VP, he worked formats including pop, rhythm, urban and alternative. Among his credits are radio hits by Adele, Beyoncé, Pharrell Williams, John Legend, One Direction, Calvin Harris, John Mayer, Train and Foster The People.
The New York-based Borris started out as a senior director of pop promotion at Epic Records working hit songs by Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, and Incubus.
Radio has typically been a male-dominated field but there has been a slow shift towards parity in recent years, particularly in promotion, as Variety recently featured .
A rep for the label would not comment.