Sony Music has appointed Stephanie Yu as General Counsel and Executive Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs, giving her global oversight of the company's business, legal and governmental affairs. She succeeds Julie Swidler, who stepped down from the role earlier in the summer, and will report to Chairman Rob Stringer and COO Kevin Kelleher. The move continues Yu's long career within the company and reflects Sony Music's preference for promoting internal talent to senior leadership positions.

Yu joined Sony Music in 2005 as a litigator after three years at law firm Covington & Burling, before moving to Epic Records in 2011, where she spent nine years rising to Executive Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs. Most recently she spent over two years as Executive Vice President and U.S. Lead of Business and Legal Affairs, overseeing law division operations for the company's U.S. frontline record labels. She has also been recognised on Variety's Music's Legal Elite list, sits on the Executive Committee of the Entertainment Law Initiative, and serves on the board of Womankind, a charity supporting victims of domestic violence and human trafficking.