Universal Music Group (UMG) announced today the appointment of Hannah Poferl as its Chief Data Officer, effective immediately. She will be based in Santa Monica and report to UMG’s Chief Operating Officer, Boyd Muir.
A transformational media, data, and editorial executive, Poferl joins UMG after close to 12 years at The New York Times, where she had served most recently as The Times’ first-ever Chief Data Officer since 2021, as well as Head of Audience & Assistant Managing Editor, among other positions.
Poferl will lead the company’s data and analytics strategy and functions globally. She will have responsibility for audience development and engagement, including the use of data and AI technologies to: power UMG’s superfan strategy; better connect the company’s artists and labels with fans; empower talent discovery; and helping unlock long-term value for UMG’s unrivaled global catalog while supporting operational performance for UMG’s companies worldwide.
Muir said, “We are thrilled to welcome Hannah to the UMG team. Her exceptional reputation and track record of strategically utilizing data, analytics and AI technology to grow, connect and engage audiences with creativity and culture, mirrors our own vision for transforming the ways artists and labels can connect with fans. Her unique insight and deep understanding of both the creative and commercial aspects of the creative sector, dovetail perfectly with our own ambitions to accelerate the role data and technology play in our driving our superfan initiatives, direct to consumer platforms and UMG’s business globally.”
Poferl said, “I’m excited to join UMG because of its clear focus on using data and technology in service of artists and artistry at a time when data and technology are playing an increasingly important role. The organization’s ambitious and thoughtful approach to innovation, including A.I., reflects a clarity of purpose and a respect for creativity that I value deeply. Storytelling has been central to my career, and music is one of the most powerful storytelling mediums that exists — making this an especially meaningful place to do this work.”
During her tenure at The Times, Poferl shaped the company’s data strategy and architected newsroom data practices that blended editorial judgment with analytics to drive readership growth and engagement, while advancing applied machine learning and platform capabilities that enabled audience growth at scale.
Overseeing an organization of more than 200 people at The Times, with responsibilities spanning insights and audience strategy, while also driving enterprise strategy balancing innovation, audience growth, and journalistic integrity, Poferl led data-driven acquisitions and editorial transformations that helped propel The Times to the top of its peer group—closing the gap with broadcast rivals and outpacing digital peers.
Poferl joined The New York Times in 2014, holding a variety of executive roles including Associate Managing Editor, Director of Newsroom Strategy, Deputy Editor and Senior Manager, Newsroom Analytics. She holds a Bachelor of Arts, Summa Cum Laude from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.
