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Message: [QUOTE="Queen, post: 87888, member: 27"] A six-and-a-half-year run atop country music's oldest trade org wraps this summer, with the outgoing boss leaving behind a drastically more profitable operation. Whiteside heads for the ACM exit [LIST] [*]Damon Whiteside leaves the CEO gig effective June 30. [*]His emeritus role stretches through the rest of 2026. [*]ACM's board assembled a search committee for replacements. [*]Membership reportedly peaked at its most diverse ever. [/LIST] ACM profits went absolutely vertical [LIST] [*]2025 profits skyrocketed by 150% under Whiteside's watch. [*]Projections peg 2026 gains at another 140% jump. [*]Whiteside relocated the entire organization to Nashville. [*]ACM originally launched as a SoCal trade group. [/LIST] Streaming pivot changed the awards game [LIST] [*]Whiteside shifted the ACM Awards onto Amazon Prime Video. [*]That global deal locks in through 2028 across 235-plus territories. [*]Cross-genre bookings featured Ed Sheeran and Dua Lipa. [*]Reba McEntire's 60th-anniversary show spiked viewership 70%. [/LIST] New franchises and philanthropy popped off [LIST] [*]Fresh brands span ACM Our Country, and the 60th Gala. [*]ACM Lifting Lives funneled over $4 million via Covid relief. [*]Annual fundraising recently topped $1.3 million through new events. [*]Charley Pride Inclusion Brunch became a recurring franchise. [/LIST] Whiteside built his playbook at Disney [LIST] [*]Whiteside previously logged 15-plus years at Walt Disney. [*]He helped stand up Disney's tween-focused music division. [*]His next stop was the Country Music Association as CMO. [*]Cris Lacy, the ACM board chair, praised his global impact. [/LIST] [/QUOTE]

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