Article: Upping volume in executive suite; Def Jam chief aims to enter corporate sphere; can success outweigh industry's image?(News)(Kevin Liles)

Byline: samantha marshall

As he walks into his favorite Manhattan lunch spot, Palm West, Def Jam President Kevin Liles is greeted by a dozen media and entertainment moguls and given a bear hug by a Showtime executive.

Judging by the enthusiastic reception and the fact that his caricature hangs on the restaurant wall along with those of luminaries like Connie Chung, Mr. Liles has become a bona fide member of their executive club.

He's earned his stripes as an entertainment executive by making Def Jam Recordings, a part of Vivendi Universal, the dominant hip-hop record company. He has doubled revenues to about $400 million during his four years ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

 
 
Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 80 million articles! Access over 6,500 publications with a FREE trial!