Did Billboard never have a CEO position until now? Company president Mike Van promoted to the role of chief executive officer

Billboard did not have a global CEO position until April 2025. The American music publication has named its first-ever CEO, Mike Van, on April 28, who has served as the President of Billboard since 2022.

Earlier, the publication distributed leadership roles across positions, including president, publisher, and editorial dictator.

The Vietnamese-American CEO initially joined Billboard in 2018, after working at Pandora, Electric Arts, and Complex. As CEO, Van will be overseeing the publicans' editorial and business divisions and report to Penske Media Corporation CEO Jay Penske. Billboard editor in chief, Hannah Karp, will now be reporting directly to Van. Van is also responsible for the company's brand footprint in fifteen countries in aspects of strategy, revenue, business operations, live experiences, international licensing, and brand partnerships.

Penske, in an official statement, praised Mike Van's skills, saying:

"Mike is a one-of-a-kind leader, visionary and partner. His passion for the Billboard brand and clear vision for its future has always set him apart. Mike has fostered a collaborative environment with a team committed to building a formidable global business - innovating and trailbazing at every level."

In a statement, Mike noted that it is an "honor of a lifetime" to lead the Billboard team, and mentioned that he looks to take the Billboard legacy forward through global IP expansion, live experiences, and "cementing our position as the definitive voice of music business and culture."

Van had earlier developed live experiences for the publication, including Latin Music Week, the Billboard Latin Music Awards, THE STAGE at SXSW, Billboard Music Awards, and Billboard Women in Music events.

More about Mike Van's career

Mike Van was born to Van Dam Van and Chau Tran, who immigrated to Sacramento, California, in 1975 after escaping the Vietnam War. Van grew up in both Los Angeles and New York and graduated from California State University, Fullerton.

Mike went on to build a career in Advertising, Media, and Marketing and worked with renowned brands such as TBWA/Chiat Day, The Source Magazine, ESPN, Complex Media Group, and Myspace, as per his LinkedIn profile.

Mike joined Billboard in 2018 as Vice President of Brand Partnerships and moved up the ladder by securing positions like Executive Vice President, Head of Global Brand Partnerships in 2020, and President in 2022, before becoming CEO in April 2025.

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In 2023, he was named in the Gold House #A100 list, which honors 100 Asian Pacific leaders who made significant contributions to cultural and societal impacts.

Mike Van is married to Julie, an executive at the e-sports team, 100 Thieves, and shares twins, Mila and Luca.

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