Jody Gerson, the chairman and CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group, has been named to the board of directors for Gap, Inc., the company announced Monday.
The Gap news is just the latest board appointment for Gerson, who was also brought onto the board of Ancestry.com this past June. She also serves on the boards of the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Project Healthy Minds and the National Music Publishers Association. She also co-founded the nonprofit group She is the Music.
“Gap Inc. has long been a cultural icon, bridging fashion, music, and identity. I’m honored to join Gap Inc.’s Board of Directors and excited to bring my perspective and experience in the creative industries to the table,” Gerson said in a statement. “Equally, I’m energized to support Richard Dickson’s vision and draw inspiration from Gap’s remarkable renaissance as a brand that’s become synonymous with the culture of music.”
Gerson’s appointment comes as Gap is enjoying a viral denim ad campaign with girl group KATSEYE, who are signed to UMG record label Interscope. The ad, which features the group dancing to Kelis’s 2003 classic “Milkshake,” caused streams on the song to more than double, as The Hollywood Reporter reported earlier in September.
In a statement, Gap president and CEO Richard Dickson called Gerson “a cultural force in her own right.”
“Her insights into fashiontainment – our platform at the intersection of fashion, music and celebrity – are unmatched,” Dickson said. “At Gap Inc., we’ve always believed that style is a form of storytelling, and Jody’s ability to amplify voices and shape cultural moments will be invaluable as we continue redefining what it means to be an iconic, purpose-led house of brands.”