THE·TEAM elevated executive vp/managing partner Kevin Shivers to co-president of music, the agency announced Tuesday (April 7). Shivers will join current president Lee Anderson, who assumed his current role leading THE·TEAM’s music group in June 2024.
“I’ve always wanted a role like this, and I didn’t know if it would come,” Shivers told Billboard. “It’s a great day, and I couldn’t be more proud to be doing it with a great partner in Lee and the team that we have assembled.”
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Shivers joined THE·TEAM (formerly known as Wasserman) in January 2025 following more than 16 years at WME. His roster includes marquee client Tyler, the Creator, as well as major performers from the rap (Kid Cudi, Vince Staples), R&B (Leon Thomas, Jazmine Sullivan), Latin (Kali Uchis, Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso) and even podcasting (Crooked Media) worlds.
“People that look like me rarely get these opportunities,” Shivers added, referencing how with his promotion, he becomes one of the seniormost Black executives in the agency sector and the music business at large.
Prior to him joining THE·TEAM, Anderson and Shivers discussed the possibility that Shivers may be elevated to such a role, Shivers said, with Anderson and other senior executives at the company ultimately agreeing that overseeing the music group was “a two-person job.” In explaining the division’s move from one president to two, Shivers noted the growing corporate trend toward leadership by two executives, which companies such as Netflix, Spotify and Oracle have recently embraced.
Practically, Shivers and Anderson plan to divide and conquer, with each retaining oversight of the areas they’re closest with — hip-hop for the former, dance for the latter — while spreading leadership duties between themselves. Beyond Shivers’ personal roster, THE·TEAM represents major artists across all genres, including Kendrick Lamar, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Disclosure, Tyler Childers, Lorde and Phish.
“We’ve worked together long enough to have a real trust together,” Shivers says of Anderson. “We see the business in the same way — but we bring different strengths to the table. … We want to represent the best artists in the world — the ones with the most unique voices, the ones that are putting out the best music and doing the most cutting-edge thing.”
“Kevin is one of the most respected and beloved voices in our business,” Anderson said in a statement. “From day one of joining our company, he has made positive impacts through mentorship, strategic input and a constant drive to improve our business. He brings a rare combination of instinct, experience, selflessness and integrity to everything he does. As we look the future, there is no one better to help lead this group forward.”
Shivers becomes co-president as the agency world and broader live sector face myriad new challenges, from fair ticketing to the rise of AI. For Shivers, the “numero uno” concern currently is that “the clients want more, they deserve more. It’s always making sure we’re giving them more.” The robust branding, marketing and artist services resources that THE·TEAM offers clients has helped to differentiate it from other music agencies, and Shivers expects that to remain a key selling point for the company. In his previous role, Shivers also searched for expansion opportunities internationally, and he plans to continue exploring this “whole other world of opportunity.”
“There’s so much to offer under THE·TEAM,” Shivers said. “Lee and I’s job is to do a great job tying of tying this all together, telling our story, so that everybody knows what we have to offer. Many times, being an agent is about being a good storyteller — and we need to tell our story in a way that everybody understands what we have to offer.”
For Shivers, telling that story will also include addressing concerns about the agency following founder and CEO Casey Wasserman‘s appearance in documents released by the Department of Justice in connection with the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. After several artist clients left or threatened to leave the agency over Wasserman’s connection to the case, he said in a memo to staff that he had stepped back from the company’s day-to-day business and had begun the process of selling it. Shortly after, the agency changed its name to THE·TEAM.
“Everybody knows we’re for sale,” Shivers said. “I’m not in those conversations, but I think that our partners, whatever happens, it’s just going to put us in a better situation.”
While Shivers declined to get into specifics about what that future might entail, he reiterated his confidence in THE·TEAM’s staff, regardless of its ownership.
“The foundation of our business is strong, and that hasn’t changed,” he said. “It never did change. We have a great business. We have the brightest and the best clients, the brightest and the best agents and people who work here. If anything, it’s been a moment for us to really focus on who we are and where we’re going to go next. One thing is for sure: We have the same commitment to our artists and to our team. As always, when you have turmoil or an unfortunate situation, you have a chance to look inside of yourself — and I believe we are going to be stronger.”
