Hal Leonard has announced the departure of David Jahnke, Senior Vice President, North America, after more than 30 years with the company. Stepping into new leadership roles, Tom Gierke, Chief Growth Officer for Sales and Education, will oversee B2B sales alongside Timothy Cose, Head of Global Strategic Sales Operations.
Jahnke, who began his Hal Leonard career as a telesales representative in 1993, played a pivotal role in building and expanding the company’s sales division during a period of significant global growth and digital transformation. Beyond his contributions to Hal Leonard, he has been deeply involved in the music industry, serving on the boards of the Music Achievement Council and the Retail Print Music Dealers Association, as well as being a beloved member of NAMM’s legendary show band, Printz.
Reflecting on his tenure, Jahnke shared, “When I first started working at Hal Leonard, I discovered the deep satisfaction of helping our customers, and I’ve been lucky to spend my career ever since doing what I love. Working with the best sales team in the industry and forming lasting friendships with our retail partners has been a privilege. I’m proud of what Hal Leonard has accomplished in my 32 years here, and I’m extremely excited to see where Muse Group/Hal Leonard will go in the next 32.”
For the past six months, Jahnke has been working closely with the new leadership team to ensure a smooth transition.
New Leadership Team
Tom Gierke, who joined Muse Group and Hal Leonard in 2024, brings a dynamic background as a percussionist, educator, and sales leader. During his 13-year tenure at Google, he played a pivotal leadership role in shaping the company’s education business, driving strategy, partnerships, and transformation to the EDU tech sector. Now, he spearheads initiatives to develop new strategies, programs, and technology to fuel Hal Leonard’s growth in sales, education, and partnerships.
Timothy Cose, a 16-year Hal Leonard veteran, has been promoted to Head of Global Strategic Sales Operations. With experience spanning both the Sales and Finance teams, he will focus on implementing advanced analytics tools to equip sales reps and customers with the best data to drive business growth.
Gierke expressed his enthusiasm for the future, stating, “What drives great musicians to push boundaries and perfect their craft is the pursuit of the impossible—turning effort into virtuosity. We have a leadership team full of people with that same passion, committed to exponentially growing the number of music learners, teachers, and creators. This team is poised to help our sales reps and retail partners unlock even more potential in print music and gear.”
Larry Morton, Muse Group Executive Board Advisor, said, “I’m extremely grateful to David, not only for 30+ years of leadership excellence at the company but for developing the partnership mentality that has been our trademark in the industry. David also did incredible integration work over the past year after Hal Leonard joined Muse Group. During the transition, David worked closely with Tom Gierke, who is perfectly suited to take our business to the next level. I am supremely confident in Tom and our global sales team.”
With this dynamic new leadership team, Hal Leonard reaffirms its commitment to serving the music industry with innovation, expertise, and a passion for helping retailers thrive.
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