Julie Greenwald

Julie Greenwald, Chairman/COO of The Atlantic Records Group stands as number 1 on Billboard's 2011 Women in Music list. Hailing from Catskills, NY, Greenwald set out to make a change through teaching but her course took a completely different turn. In 1992, she became a summer assistant to Lyor Cohen under Def Jam Records and since then she has reached unimaginable heights.

In her interview with Billboard Editorial Director, Bill Werde, Greenwald talks about the foundational stage in her journey and her constant rise in the industry over the twenty years. Greenwald mentions the excitement of working for Def Jam and the state of Hip Hop in 1992: "Hip Hop was not in the mainstream yet. It was still in pockets of America in urban cities and urban marketplace. We did not have a lot of avenues to promote our music". Greenwald began to work with a culture that she didn't grow up around; a culture that laid in pockets of America in urban cities but a culture that turned into a global entity. As Greenwald grew within the industry and in ranks, Hip Hop grew as well.  She was one of very few women contributing to the rise of Hip Hop, but her being outnumbered didn't stop her. She hungered and thrived for more and became one of the most influential players in such a growing industry.

Jovanni Vatel, Marketing Intern at Atlantic Records sees Julie Greenwald as a Music Industry Pioneer. In a short conversation with Mr. Vatel, he poignantly said, "She is a mentor here to all her staff, setting the pedestal towards greatness. She can find the smallest seed in an artist, employee or intern; nurture them and raise them to move mountains". It is obvious that Greenwald creates an atmosphere of continued progress at Atlantic Records. Beyond the Lyrics congratulates Julie Greenwald on this major accomplishment.

To watch the interview with Bill Werde in its entirety, check out Billboard.biz and to see the complete list of Billboard's 2011 Women in Music, go here.