Drake University’s newest trustee is a leader in the music management industry. Jonathan Azu, a 1999 Drake alum, is general manager and executive vice president of Red Light Management, an independent music management company that represents many well-known artists, among them Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, Michelle Williams, Phish, Ben Harper and the Dave Matthews Band. 

Azu, who has a marketing degree from Drake, attributes his first big break in the music industry to the time he booked the Dave Matthews Band to perform on campus during his senior year. 

“Drake University has had a massive impact on my life professionally and personally,” Azu said in a statement. “If not for Drake, I would undoubtedly not be where I am today. I look forward to harnessing my passion for the university while performing my duties as a board member.”

Azu was selected by Billboard magazine as a “Top 40 Under 40: Music’s Young Power Player” in 2014 and 2015. He served on Drake University’s National Alumni Board until 2017 and was a recipient of Drake’s Young Alumni Achievement award in 2007. He begins his three-year term on the board of trustees in April.