Irving Azoff is the chief executive officer of Ticketmaster Entertainment, the world’s leading live entertainment and ticketing company, and chairman and chief executive officer of the Front Line Management Group, the world’s largest music management firm.

Azoff, who began promoting and booking bands when he was a student at Illinois, has been a fixture in the entertainment industry for nearly four decades. He founded Front Line in 1974, the same year he became personal manager of the legendary Eagles, a relationship that continues to this day. He currently manages Christina Aguilera, Neil Diamond, Van Halen and Steely Dan, and has been instrumental in the success of many more musicians.

During the 1980s, Azoff served as chairman and chief executive officer of MCA Music Entertainment Group and helped revitalize that company. He founded Azoff Entertainment in 1990, and operated that venture until 2001, when he sold the company to Time Warner. In 2008, Advertising Age named Azoff the “Marketer of the Year” and Pollstar magazine named him “Personal Manager of the Year.”

Azoff, through his unique position in the entertainment industry, brings together the music, film and television communities to raise money for a variety of charitable organizations. In recognition of his efforts, Azoff received the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the T.J. Martell Foundation and the Spirit of Life Award from the City of Hope. He also serves as an advisory board member of the Walden Woods Project.