Live Nation’s Shawn Gee Named To Warner Music Group’s Social Justice Fund Board Of Directors

Shawn Gee
 – Shawn Gee
Live Nation Urban / Maverick

The Warner Music Group / Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund announced the external members of its Board of Directors July 21, including Shawn Gee, president of Live Nation Urban, and a principal and partner in Maverick management company; along with Tanya Coke, director of the Ford Foundation’s Gender, Racial and Ethnic Justice team; Paul Henderson, executive director of the San Francisco Department of Police Accountability; Alencia Johnson, chief impact officer and founder of social impact agency 1063 West Broad; and Mona Sutphen, senior advisor of private equity firm The Vistria Group LLC. 

Following the June 2 industry-wide campaign #TheShowMustBePaused in solidarity with the Black community, Warner Music Group and the Blavatnik Family Foundation announced the $100 million Social Justice Fund on June 3 to support “charitable causes related to the music industry, social justice and campaigns against violence and racism.” 
Tuesday’s news from WMG noted that the five external members of the Board of Directors will “help ensure the Fund’s governance will include independent oversight and accountability.” The fund will contribute to organizations on the “front lines of the fight for equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging,” with donations made on a sustained, long-term basis. Proposals can be submitted to [email protected].
The Social Justice Fund will include seven executives from Warner Music Group and three rotating representatives of the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The fund’s other directors named July 21 include Temi Adeniji, VP of International Strategy & Operations at Warner Music Group; Mark Baker, VP of Public Policy & Government Affairs at Warner Music Group; Austin Daboh, EVP at Atlantic Records UK; Camille Hackney, Chief Partnerships Officer at Atlantic/Head of the Global Brand Partnerships Council at WMG; Michael Lynton, Chairman, Snap Inc.; Riggs Morales, SVP of A&R and Artist Development at Atlantic; Julian Petty, EVP, Head of Business & Legal Affairs at Warner Records; and Ryan Press, President, A&R, U.S. for Warner Chappell Music.
The Blavatnik Family Foundation is self-funded by American-British industrialist and philanthropist Len Blavatnik, the founder and chairman of Access Industries. Warner Music Group was acquired by Access Industries in 2011.