The C.E.O. Other C.E.O.s Turn To for Advice
One title doesn't fully capture what Mr. Stoute, 54, does. In fact, he has a few: chief executive and founder of UnitedMasters, a music distribution company, and Translation, a marketing agency. But those also don't reflect the scope of his influence across the worlds of entertainment, advertising, technology and politics.
Many high-powered people — including Adam Silver, the commissioner of the National Basketball Association; Lorraine Twohill, the chief marketing officer at Google; and Jared Kushner, the investor and presidential son-in-law — go to the former music label executive for guidance about things such as their next business move, how to navigate the current political climate or where pop culture is headed.
How did he get here? He name-checks record deals and ad campaigns over the years with Beyoncé, Enrique Iglesias, Lady Gaga, Mary J. Blige and Nas. His current clients include McDonald's, Beats by Dre and Meta.
On a recent afternoon at Sadelle's — a restaurant in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami that Mr. Stoute is an investor in — nearly a dozen people swung by the table to say hello and catch him up on the latest in their lives.
Among them was Francis Suarez, the mayor of Miami. 'He's someone that people that are important rely on for advice and counsel,' Mr. Suarez said. 'I think that's a testament to what he's accomplished,' he added, 'and to his personality.'
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