MUMBAI: Music company, Universal Music Group (UMG), has appointed Eric Berman as the executive vice president of public affairs, effective immediately. He will jointly report to UMG’s general counsel and EVP of business and legal affairs Jeffrey Harleston and Will Tanous, executive vice president of communications.

In this position, Berman will have responsibility for public policy and government relations globally. “Eric is the rare professional who truly lives at the intersection of public policy and business,” said Harleston. “He has a proven judgment that can only come from the kind of diverse real-life experiences he has had at the highest levels of government, politics and business.”

Tanous added, “After working together for years, we are fortunate to have Eric join UMG. As a trusted adviser to our executive team, he has demonstrated a perceptive understanding of the challenges facing our industry, a keen vision for how to seize the opportunities before us and an astute appreciation for how to advance public policy in the mutual best interest of all of our industry’s stakeholders.”

He served the company across a range of industries – from entertainment and technology, to finance, retail, energy and many more, during his stint at Kekst and Company as co-head of Kekst’s Public Affairs practice. He worked with music industry for over a decade and was counselling clients his role at the public relations firm Kekst and Company, where he worked since 1997.

Prior to Kekst, he gave his ten years to public policy and politics, including positions in the White House under President Bill Clinton, at the Democratic National Committee and on Capitol Hill, as well as senior roles in several political campaigns, including the 1992 Clinton-Gore campaign and other elections around the country.

He continues to serve on the board of directors of the international non-profit-Search for Common Ground, and he is on the Board of Trustees of Congregation Rodeph Sholom in New York. Berman holds an A.B. in Government, with a specialty in International Relations, cum laude, from Harvard College.