Armin Zerza exits as Warner Music Group CFO and COO

Armin Zerza is exiting his dual role as CFO and COO of Warner Music Group, effective immediately.

A press release issued by WMG today (July 31) stated that Zerza is leaving the company for “personal reasons”.

The news comes less than two months after Zerza added the COO role to his position as CFO of WMG.

That transition saw Zerza extend his oversight at WMG to include corporate development, central marketing, business and market intelligence, and WMX.

WMG says it has initiated a formal search for its next CFO.

Lou Dickler, currently SVP, Global Controller and Chief Accounting Officer at WMG, has been appointed Acting CFO.

Zerza will remain available to WMG through the end of the fiscal year to support the transition, said Warner; the company’s fiscal year ends on September 30.

“Armin has been an instrumental leader and member of the executive team during a crucial period of growth and transformation,” said Robert Kyncl, CEO of Warner Music Group.

“We thank Armin for his outstanding business and financial leadership and enduring contributions to WMG, and we wish him all the best,” Kyncl said.

WMG described Dickler as “a deeply respected finance leader within the organization,” and said he “has previously served in this capacity.”

“Armin has been an instrumental leader and member of the executive team during a crucial period of growth and transformation.”

Robert Kyncl, Warner Music Group

Dickler was appointed Acting CFO of WMG once before, in November 2021, when then-CFO Eric Levin began a medical leave of absence.

Armin Zerza joined Warner Music Group as EVP and CFO in May 2025, succeeding Bryan Castellani.

Before WMG, Zerza spent a decade at Activision Blizzard, where he served as CFO and Chief Commercial Officer.

He played a role in the gaming company’s $68.7 billion acquisition by Microsoft, which closed in 2023.

Before that, he held finance roles at Procter & Gamble for more than 20 years.

Brian Castellani had joined WMG in October 2023 from The Walt Disney Company, where he was CFO of Disney Entertainment and ESPN.

Since joining WMG, Zerza worked on the company’s AI licensing strategy alongside Kyncl, with Warner striking deals with Suno, Udio and Stability AI.

Zerza also helped expand WMG‘s catalog acquisition joint venture with Bain Capital to $1.65 billion in total capacity.

In its most recent quarter, ended March 31, WMG reported total revenue of $1.73 billion, up 12.1% year-on-year at constant currency.

On the accompanying earnings call, Zerza told analysts that WMG had “delivered on our sustainable growth model, accelerating core growth, margin expansion, and cash flow productivity.”

“Behind a profitable growth engine that pairs disciplined capital allocation and rigorous cost management with industry-leading creative and AI initiatives, we are well-positioned to create significant long-term value for our shareholders,” Zerza added.Music Business Worldwide