PANEL - Music Managers: The New Power Brokers
Let’s be honest: the center of gravity in the music industry has shifted. In 2026, the people shaping careers, controlling budgets, and driving long-term strategy aren’t sitting exclusively inside labels or platforms. They’re managers. What began as a cottage trade is now a global profession, with managers serving as the industry’s central power brokers. They are the only role structurally positioned to operate across every sector of the ecosystem on behalf of the artist - translating artistic vision into strategy, deals, and sustainable careers. Modern management is about leadership, leverage, and long-term value creation in a decentralized, global marketplace. This panel dives into how that influence is exercised, how power is stewarded responsibly, and how managers are shaping the future of the global music economy.
Featured Speakers:
Cindy Da Silva, Co-Founder & Artist Manager, The Rocks Management
Cindy Da Silva is the Owner and Partner of The Rocks Management, a boutique artist management company specializing in strategic marketing and career development for legendary British Invasion icons The Zombies, Colin Blunstone’s solo career, hit songwriter Bruce Sudano, Jesse Lynn Madera, and visual artist Vivienne Boucherat.
In 2019, Da Silva and her team successfully helped secure The Zombies’ induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2023, the band received the prestigious Grulke Award for Career Artist at SXSW, while the documentary Hung Up On A Dream, directed by Robert Schwartzman, premiered at SXSW Film. She is also the founder of The Zombies’ annual Begin Here Festival, held in the band’s hometown of St Albans, UK.
During the pandemic, Da Silva launched a virtual internship program that has since trained more than 60 emerging music industry professionals through hands-on experience, mentorship, peer networking, and workforce development opportunities. The program has become an important pipeline for talent development within the industry.
Prior to founding The Rocks Management, Da Silva spent five years leading the Management Division at TCI and previously owned and operated da Silva Artists, a boutique talent management firm. Throughout her career, she has worked alongside renowned music figures including legendary producers Tom Dowd and Arif Mardin.
She began her professional music career running Jolly Roger Recording in Hoboken before founding Jolly Roger Management to support emerging artists connected to the studio. She later served as General Manager of producer Joe Mardin’s recording studio and label, NuNoise Records, before returning fully to artist management.
Additional projects throughout her career have included serving as Talent Coordinator and Coordinating Producer for the Love For Levon concert, consulting on the development of Bette Midler’s rehearsal space in Harlem, Stage Manager and Production Coordinator for Rosie’s R Family Vacation Cruises, co-authoring The Odyssey: The Zombies in Words and Images, co-creating Know Your Crazy, and serving as Site Supervisor for Super Bowl Boulevard.
Her specialties include artist management, publicity, and marketing.
Rachel Poston, Fractional CMO, Team Spirit Management, Public Emily & Lunatic Entertainment
Lauren McKinney, VP of Marketing & Artist Manager, Foundations Artist Management
Lauren McKinney is a manager at Foundations, where she works with Chappell Roan alongside a management roster that includes Will Anderson and Zolita. She previously served as VP of Marketing at Foundations, where she developed the department from a two-person operation into a team of more than ten, leading campaigns for artists including Noah Kahan, Dayglow, Dr. Dog, Lauv, and Samia. Before joining Foundations, Lauren was a partner in an experiential and editorial music agency and worked as a digital and operations lead at Red Light Management.
Rachel Poston is a Fractional Head of Marketing and Operations partnering with management companies Team Spirit Mgmt, public emily, and Lunatic Entertainment, as well as production company Schirmer Theatrical. A former major label executive, she has held roles as SVP of Marketing at UMG's Verve, Head of Artist & Label Services for the US at Sony's The Orchard, and in lead Marketing and Digital roles at indie labels Cooking Vinyl and Glassnote Records. She now applies that experience as a strategic partner in launching artist-led labels and distribution operations, with a focus on building sustainable careers through holistic marketing strategy.
Rachel has guided projects to chart-topping success in the US and UK, using data-driven and audience-first creative strategy while amplifying top-tier partnerships and building new teams and workflows for operational success. Throughout her career, she has contributed to campaigns for Jon Batiste, Samara Joy, Jack White, Caroline Polachek, Childish Gambino, CHVRCHES, Nina Nesbitt, Mumford & Sons, Passenger, Adele, Bob Dylan, and more.
Michael Hausman is a veteran artist manager and music industry entrepreneur with over four decades of experience shaping careers at the highest levels of the music business. He is best known for his long-running management of Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Aimee Mann, and has also guided the careers of David Byrne, Suzanne Vega, Amanda Palmer, and Marc Cohn. Through his company Michael Hausman Artist Management, he operates across touring, digital distribution, merchandise, and data strategy, bringing a rare end-to-end perspective on building sustainable independent careers. He also runs SuperEgo Records, Aimee Mann’s independent label, which has released multiple Grammy-winning recordings. Hausman serves on the Board of Directors of SoundExchange and is a member of the Music Managers Forum US. A founding member of the influential 80s new wave band ‘Til Tuesday, he attended Berklee College of Music and Tufts University.
Wendy Laister’s career has taken her from London University, where she graduated with first class honors in Psychology, to the music industry, where she currently manages a number of internationally known artists. En route, she spent time in the Public Affairs Department of British Petroleum, in the Human Resources Division of the PA Consultancy Group, and as Manager of Corporate Press and Public Relations for Richard Branson’s Virgin Group.
In 1986, she formed Laister Dickson, an international press and public relations firm, with offices in London and Los Angeles, specializing in the entertainment industry. During her 10 years as CEO and President, her client base grew to include The Rolling Stones, Guns ‘N Roses, Paul McCartney, Aerosmith, Janet Jackson, INXS and Tina Turner, among many others. In addition, she coordinated global press and publicity campaigns for many of the world’s largest televised music events, including Woodstock, Rock in Rio II, Roger Waters’ The Wall, in Berlin, the two Nelson Mandela freedom concerts at Wembley Stadium, the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, The Three Tenors concert series and the Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary Concert from Madison Square Garden.
In 1994 Laister moved into a different part of the business, taking over the exclusive worldwide management of Aerosmith and forming a new company – Magus Entertainment. During the years that followed, Aerosmith’s enormous popularly continued to grow as she spearheaded successful campaigns around three multi-platinum albums, their first #1 US single, two record-breaking world tours, the launch of an Aerosmith Disney ride and the release of a New York Times best-selling autobiography.
In early 1999, with the birth of her son, Wendy took a brief sabbatical from the business, returning later that year to re-establish Magus Entertainment with a client management roster that now includes: Duran Duran, Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry, Patrick Droney, Valencia Grace, Daisy the Great, Rozzi, Adam Peters, Bret McKenzie and Julian Lerner.
Moderator:
Michael Hausman - DETAILS TBD
