Tom Sturges

Tom Sturges is a father, coach, mentor, teacher, volunteer, and veteran music industry executive who has worked with some of the greatest songwriters of this generation. He has three sons, Thomas, Sam, and Kian.

Tom’s efforts with at-risk children at a South Los Angeles school have allowed him to become an important figure in the lives of many children there. He has received more than 20 commendations for his volunteerism, which is also the subject of the documentary film Witness to a Dream, a chronicle of 37 students who achieved a 100% high school graduation rate thanks, in large part, to music and mentoring. Most recently, the choir has performed three times for President Obama’s re-election efforts.

For the last 12 years, Tom served as EVP and Head of Creative for Universal Music Publishing Group. Tom was responsible for signing Foo Fighters, 3 Doors Down, 50 Cent, Jack Johnson, Mark Batson, Rock Mafia, Vanessa Carlton, Owl City, Frank and Derol, and Dashboard Confessional, among many others.

Previously, Tom was VP/GM of Shaquille O’Neal’s TWISM Records label and publishing company. Prior to that he was President of Chrysalis Music Group where he signed Smashing Pumpkins, Outkast, and Goodie Mob, and purchased the Roy Ayers song catalog. He also oversaw the revitalization of the Paul Anka catalog. He started his career as a song plugger at Screen Gems-EMI and Arista Music Publishing.

Tom has appeared in articles in People Magazine, The New York Times, Daily Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, The Daily Breeze, as well as Hits Magazine. He has appeared on CNN, The History Channel, Fox News, and several local news broadcasts. He was Oscar De La Hoya’s lifeline on ABC-TV’s Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.

His first book, Parking Lot Rules & 75 Other Ideas for Raising Amazing Children was published in hardcover by Ballantine Books. His second book, Grow the Tree You Got was published by Tarcher Penguin in 2010.

Tom is now an independent music publisher.