Ienner Resigns

Sony Music Group U.S. CEO Don Ienner and COO Michele Anthony resigned from Sony BMG Music Entertainment June 1st, according to an internal memo from Sony BMG chief Rolf Schmidt-Holtz.

Schmidt-Holtz has reportedly appointed Rob Stringer as Sony Music prexy effective in September and Sony BMG’s Tim Bowen will act as interim president.

Bertelsmann, which jointly owns Sony BMG, ousted then-label CEO Andrew Lack earlier this year, and Schmidt-Holtz took over the reins. But the new CEO found himself tussling with Sony U.S. label chief Ienner, sources told the New York Post, over leadership of the company’s largest label, Columbia Records.

Lack lured Columbia president Steve Greenberg to leave his label, S-Curve Records, last year. Sources told the Post that Ienner has been trying to push Greenberg out in order to place Columbia chairman Steve Barnett as sole captain of the label. Schmidt-Holtz reportedly has been siding with Greenberg and trying to find a way to keep him from leaving.

The turmoil took place one day after the Dixie Chicks‘ new Columbia record, Taking The Long Way, debuted at No. 1 on Nielsen SoundScan.