It was announced today that Def Jam's President, Joie Manda, has resigned and plans to relocate back to Los Angeles. It was just a year ago that Joie took the position at Def Jam, however due to personal reasons he will be moving back to L.A. to join his former home, Universal Music Group, as the President of Urban Music for Interscope Records.
Joie released a statement about the relocation, "Despite having to move back to Los Angeles for personal reasons, I am truly grateful to Barry, John and Jimmy Iovine (Chairman & CEO, Interscope Geffen A&M) for this exciting new opportunity," Manda said. "I've learned a lot from Barry in the last year and am very appreciative of everything he has done for me. I am now looking forward to being part of the Interscope family, a company uniquely positioned for success despite this challenging marketplace."
Barry Weiss, who is the President & CEO of UMG’s East Coast Labels, announced the news today with John Janick, President & COO of Interscope Geffen A&M. Weiss commented, "While we understand Joie’s personal reasons for wanting to move back to Los Angeles, we’re thankful for all of his contributions to Def Jam. We wish him success in his new role at our sister label."
Prior to working at Def Jam, Joie worked at Warner Bros. Records as the head of Urban Music, and was involved with signing Common, Rick Ross' MMG (Wale, Meek Mill), and Waka Flocka, among others.