Kris Ahrend serves as Chief Executive Officer for The MLC, where he leads the organization’s mission to ensure songwriters, composers, lyricists, and music publishers receive their mechanical royalties from streaming and download services in the U.S. accurately and on time.

Most recently, Ahrend led the development and launch of Warner Music Group’s Center of Excellence for Shared Services in Nashville, where he oversaw the operations of fifteen different functional teams

providing a variety of administrative, financial, and legal services to Warner Music’s U.S.-based publishing teams, record labels, and corporate divisions. Prior to launching the Center of Excellence, Ahrend held a senior executive role within Warner Music, where he led a large legal, financial, and administrative shared services organization that he helped to create.

Ahrend began his career in the music industry working in the Law Department at Sony Music, where he provided legal services to all of Sony’s US divisions, including its publishing company. He subsequently worked in the business and legal affairs department at Sony BMG Music Entertainment before accepting a senior executive role at Rhino Entertainment.

A graduate of Binghamton University and the Washington & Lee School of Law, Ahrend worked as a law clerk for the Western District of the Virginia District Court and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals before joining the Intellectual Property & Litigation Group of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, LLP in New York.

Ahrend is a valued member of the Nashville community. He serves on the boards of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce and the Nashville Downtown Partnership, and is a member of the Music City Music Council. A lifelong musician, Ahrend and his wife, Karen, have two children and live in Nashville.

Serona Elton serves as Head of Educational Partnerships for The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC). In this role, Elton directs The MLC’s efforts to engage future members of the music industry currently studying music business and related subjects at colleges and universities across the country and around the world.


With extensive experience as a music industry professional and educator, Elton is also a professor, Director of the Music Business & Entertainment Industries Program, and Associate Dean of

Administration at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. She is also a Yamaha Master Educator.

Previously, Elton worked for Warner Music Group, where she held the position of Vice President, Product Management, and EMI Recorded Music, North America, where she was Vice President, Mechanical Licensing and Repertoire Data Services. She has also provided consulting services to Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Zumba Fitness, and other music-related companies.

A respected expert, Elton has written numerous articles about the music industry and directed several industry conferences. She is recognized by many for her extensive insight into mechanical licensing, royalties, contract summarization and management, rights management, record company operations and music industry information management.

Elton is very active in numerous music industry organizations and is currently the Immediate Past Chair of the Florida Bar, Entertainment, Arts, and Sport Law Section. Previously, she has served as President of the Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association (MEIEA), a member of the Recording Academy Board of Governors for the Florida Chapter, and a Trustee of the Copyright Society of the USA.

Elton holds a B.S.B.A. in Finance from the University of Florida, an M.M. in Music Media and Industry from the University of Miami and a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School. She is a member of the New York Bar and Florida Bar. Elton resides in Miami, Florida.