2022 Impact 50: Corrie Martin

EVP & Managing Executive
Wasserman Music

Corrie Martin has been the conductor of her own path since she was working her way through school at the Tahoe Agency and then starting her own business, Fierce Talent Agency, at 21.

She’s a key figure in the founding of Chicago’s Riot Fest, and rose through sheer tenacity and talent to the top ranks of Paradigm and, following its recent acquisition, Wasserman Music.

So it’s no surprise she’s forging the way ahead for her artists – including Imagine Dragons and Dirty Heads, along with rising stars Benson Boone and Kings Elliot – through uncharted territory in 2022.

“The return of live events has certainly come with a new set of hurdles to overcome as an industry,” Martin says. “Through all the unprecedented changes, our main focus as agents remains on pursuing the most successful outcome for our artists and their fans.”

Martin, in addition to being a fearless champion of her clients, has always been a problem-solver. Those skills come to the fore again as the industry emerges into a transitional period after shutdown.

“We’ve had to learn to be more flexible in scheduling and adaptable in our routing … while taking into consideration the surging costs of labor and production when negotiating deals,” Martin says. “With so many major tours being announced every week, being mindful of what we are competing against for media inventory, as well as fan dollars, is critical.”

With an overcrowded market comes the need for increased staffing, and Martin is as mindful of her team’s workload as she is about maximizing opportunities for her clients. She also remains struck by the response of the industry to COVID.

“To see venue owners who had never met each other reaching out to work on solutions to keep the lights on for all of us was truly a beautiful thing,” Martin says. “Finding kindness for people, giving space, showing grace, and truly working together. I hope we remember these days and the lessons we’ve learned as we move forward.”