Bill Filipiak

As a child, 45 rpm records were my teddy bears. I've been obsessed with music from day one and that obsession has served me well through a career that has always been focused on music and its stories in one fashion or another. I am a creative leader and work hard to help everyone; musician, artist, and staff member alike, recognize and reach their full potential.

As a leader I believe in motivation through positive reinforcement. In addition I believe that collaboration and mutual respect are cornerstones of any successful culture. I have always worked hard to promote diversity in my departments; for no other reason than I believe the more perspectives we have at our disposal, the better our chances of finding the best solutions, creative and answers.

You never know where the best ideas are going to come from and like minds will come up with like solutions. Therefore it is critical to have people who don't all think alike on your team. That's just reality.

I respect artists, how hard they work and am motivated each day to share their stories. I believe in leading through innovation and avoiding becoming stale. I've always said, we evolve or we die.

The bottom line: I love music, the people who make it, the people who dream it and the people who share it and support it. I know the business inside and out. And that which I don't know I surround myself with people who I trust to help find the best answer. For me it is simply a gift to work in this industry day after day and a privilege to be entrusted with someone else's creation.

With 35 years of experience that ranges from leading radio networks, to producing television network programming, marketing music, advertising, publishing, Web design, social media management, leading multiple creative teams, working with hundreds if not thousands of artists along the way; I have a deep understanding and can speak to just about every aspect of our business. I’m also an artist myself and understand the mind of an artist and the hurdles they face building a brand / career. I’ve even worked behind the counter at restaurants and have visited every Ole Red location, regularly working closely with leaders throughout Ole Red both on site and within corporate.

Through my time with other organizations I’ve also been a part of acquisitions and integrations of new staffs into various cultures.

Bachelor's degree in Communication - State University of New York @ Fredonia. It was here that I honed my audio production skills, got on the radio for the first time and joined my first band.