Mike Van Charts a New Era of Growth at Billboard
By James Moreau | 17 Jun, 2026

The appointment to CEO marks the first time in 130 years that Billboard has united its business and editorial operations under one executive.

In April 2025, Mike Van was appointed as the first-ever CEO in the 130-year history of Billboard, a landmark move that consolidated the brand’s global business and editorial operations under a single chief executive for the first time. 

This historic elevation followed his tenure as President, where he fundamentally reshaped the organization’s financial trajectory beginning in 2022.  During his leadership, Billboard achieved record-breaking profitability and double-digit revenue growth.  Van spearheaded the brand’s digital evolution while driving the growth of live experiences, including the Billboard Latin Music Awards, THE STAGE at SXSW, the Billboard Music Awards, and Billboard Women in Music.  He was the architect of massive brand integrations and partnerships with global entities such as Verizon, Samsung, and Honda. 

Van initially joined Billboard in 2018 as Vice President of Sales, where he closed record-breaking partnerships with YouTube, Google, and Apple.  He was later elevated to Head of Global Brand Partnerships, overseeing monetization across all digital, social, and live event channels.

Prior to Billboard, Van built his executive pedigree through senior roles at major media and gaming hubs.  He served as Consumer Sales Director at Pandora from 2014 to 2017 preceded as the Senior Manager of Global Media Solutions at Electronic Arts from 2012.

The Vietnamese American executive is the son of refugees who immigrated to the United States in 1975.  Van graduated from Cal State Fullerton in 1993 with a bachelor’s in advertising.