The CMA Women’s Leadership Academy has selected 16 music industry professionals for its fifth cohort, which began in Nashville on August 3, 2026. The 12-week program brings together leaders from record labels, agencies, management firms, live entertainment companies, and digital platforms for coaching, mentorship, and peer-based leadership development.
Key Takeaways
- CMA selected 16 professionals for the fifth Women’s Leadership Academy cohort.
- The first session began in Nashville on August 3, 2026, following an opening reception on August 2.
- The 12-week curriculum covers negotiation, career advancement, conflict management, personal branding, and self-advocacy.
- Participants represent companies including Warner Records, Spotify, WME, AEG Presents, Sony Music Nashville, and Big Loud.
- CMA is formally launching an alumni network connecting nearly 80 participants from the program’s five cohorts.
The CMA Women’s Leadership Academy began its fifth annual program on August 3 with a class of 16 professionals working across the country music and entertainment industries.
The first session followed an August 2 opening reception at The Chloe Nashville. Country Music Association Chief Executive Officer Sarah Trahern and Tiffany Kerns, senior vice president of industry relations and philanthropy, delivered opening remarks at the event.
The 2026 class enters a 12-week program built around weekly group coaching, peer collaboration, mentorship, and practical leadership training. CMA said a record number of women applied for the latest cohort, indicating increased interest in the academy during its fifth year.
“This program was built to outlast its 12 weeks,” Kerns said.
That longer-term focus is reflected in the program’s cohort structure. Participants complete the curriculum together while developing relationships intended to continue after the formal sessions end.
The model combines individual goal-setting with group learning. Participants begin by identifying personal and professional objectives that will help guide their work during the program.
The academy’s format also reflects the role of mentorship and networking in professional development. Participants receive guidance from executive coaches and industry mentors while sharing experiences with peers from different areas of the music business.
The 2026 Class Spans Music and Entertainment Companies
The new class includes professionals working in artist relations, marketing, artist management, talent representation, touring, digital strategy, external relations, music publishing, and record-label leadership.
Several participants represent record labels and music platforms. Kelly Bolton serves as vice president of A&R at Warner Records. Hannah Galluzzi is vice president of A&R at MCA, while Margaret Tomlin holds the same title at Sony Music Nashville.
Jamie Younger is vice president of marketing at Big Loud. Lindsay Hyslop is director of recorded music for Canada at BMG, and Claire Heinichen is Spotify’s senior editor for country music.
The live entertainment and talent representation sector is represented by Victoria Cappelli Greiner, senior director of digital marketing for global touring at AEG Presents. Annie Flook is vice president of artist relations at AXS, and Alexis Rosenberg serves as head of external relations at WME.
Participants working in artist management and development include Elisabeth Ashley, who is listed as a manager, and Marne McLyman, a manager at Maverick Nashville.
Randi Tolbert is senior artist manager at Q Prime South. Jamie Sudhalter serves as head of A&R at The Core Entertainment, while Kelsey Middleton is head of marketing and digital strategy at TRACK mgmt.
The cohort also includes Lucia Kaminsky, president of The Sandbox, and Amanda Quinton, president of Quinton Digital.
By bringing together participants from labels, agencies, management companies, digital platforms, and live entertainment organizations, CMA has created a class with experience across several parts of the music business.
The structure gives participants opportunities to compare how leadership challenges appear in different professional settings. It also allows the class to build connections beyond the organizations where individual members currently work.
A 12-Week Curriculum Centers on Practical Leadership Skills
Executive coaches Lisa Gamble of Gamble Coaching & Consulting LLC and Nicole Provonchee of Bright Blue Consulting are leading the program’s facilitated group sessions.
The curriculum includes personal branding, career advancement, conflict management, negotiation, self-advocacy, influence, and confidence. These subjects are addressed through weekly coaching, leadership exercises, and discussions among cohort members.
The program is designed to connect personal development with practical workplace situations. Participants can examine how communication, negotiation, and decision-making affect their work while learning from professionals who hold different industry responsibilities.
Peer collaboration is a central part of that process. Instead of completing the curriculum individually, members move through the sessions together and contribute perspectives from their respective fields.
The approach allows a professional working in touring, for example, to exchange ideas with participants from artist management, digital strategy, talent representation, or record-label operations.
The academy’s combination of coaching, structured discussion, and peer exchange also fits a broader focus on workplace leadership and mentorship. The program places professional relationships alongside technical leadership skills rather than treating them as separate areas of development.
Each participant’s goals provide another organizing element. The objectives established at the beginning of the program are intended to anchor the individual experience throughout the 12 weeks.
The Alumni Network Extends the Program Beyond 12 Weeks
CMA is marking the fifth year of the Women’s Leadership Academy by formally launching the WLA Alumni Network.
The network will connect nearly 80 professionals who have participated across the academy’s five cohorts. It is intended to provide an ongoing structure for mentorship, collaboration, learning, and professional connections after each class completes the curriculum.
Previous participants will be able to maintain relationships developed during the academy while connecting with members of other graduating classes. New cohort members will also enter a broader professional community rather than leaving the program with connections limited to their immediate class.
The alumni initiative formalizes an element that CMA has emphasized throughout the program: leadership development does not end when the scheduled coaching sessions conclude.
The network also expands the range of experience available to participants. Members from earlier cohorts can share perspectives with professionals entering the program in 2026, while participants from different companies and disciplines can remain connected as their careers develop.
For the CMA Women’s Leadership Academy, the alumni network represents a shift from a time-limited annual program toward a continuing community. The 2026 class will complete the same 12-week structure as previous cohorts, but its members will enter an established network spanning all five years of the initiative.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the CMA Women’s Leadership Academy?
The CMA Women’s Leadership Academy is a 12-week professional development program organized by the Country Music Association. It combines executive coaching, mentorship, peer collaboration, goal-setting, and practical leadership training for women working across the country music industry.
Who Joined the 2026 Cohort?
The 2026 class includes 16 professionals from record labels, artist management companies, agencies, digital platforms, and live entertainment organizations. Represented companies include Warner Records, Spotify, WME, AEG Presents, Sony Music Nashville, BMG, Big Loud, and The Core Entertainment.
When Did the 2026 Program Begin?
The cohort attended an opening reception at The Chloe Nashville on August 2, 2026. The first official program session took place on August 3.
What Subjects Does the Program Cover?
The curriculum covers personal branding, career advancement, conflict management, negotiation, self-advocacy, influence, and confidence. Participants explore these subjects through facilitated group coaching, leadership exercises, mentorship, and peer discussions.
What Is the WLA Alumni Network?
The WLA Alumni Network is a community connecting nearly 80 participants from the academy’s five cohorts. CMA introduced the network to support continued mentorship, collaboration, professional development, and connections beyond the 12-week program.
