Latest news with #Jerry
Time Business News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Business News
Paul 'Pooh' Lunt: The Architect of P-Pop's Global Future
COVER FEATURE: MAN BEHIND THE MOVEMENT You may not recognize his face, but you're already feeling the shockwaves of his ambition. Paul 'Pooh' Lunt, the enigmatic cultural strategist and founder of Popolo Music Group (PMG), has long worked behind the scenes—but now, he's stepping into the frame to lead the charge for Filipino music on the global stage. Known for his uncanny instinct for talent and strategy, Lunt helped steer the global rollout of 'Gangnam Style' in its early stages. Today, he is reimagining what Filipino pop music can be. In this rare and revealing interview, Lunt opens up about his Filipino roots, his shift from artist to executive, and why he believes PMG isn't just a label—it's a movement. One that will change the future of Asian music. Jerry Santos: Paul, thank you for joining us. Let's start at the beginning. What's your personal connection to the Philippines? Paul Lunt: I'm from an international family. I am a combination of Native American, Pacific Islander, Cuban, Chinese, and Yemenite ancestry, and I was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. I grew up surrounded by Filipino values—hard work, humility, and a deep love for music. My childhood was a mix of karaoke nights, home-cooked meals, and multicultural storytelling. Even as I traveled the world, that part of me never left. Jerry: You started out as a performer. What made you step back from that path? Paul Lunt: I loved performing, but I realized I was more interested in building stages than standing on them. I found joy in helping others shine—writing, producing, mentoring. That pivot changed everything. I got involved in business development, entertainment infrastructure, and eventually global pop strategy. Jerry: One of those milestones was your involvement with Gangnam Style . What role did you play? Paul Lunt: I was part of the international business and strategy team that helped position it for global release. We worked on licensing, digital rollouts, and market penetration. We leveraged the song's popularity to pair it with advertising, which made the artist happy with the publishing deal, and our lives also changed in the process. I was struggling with keeping up with the payments for the two homes I then owned. Now I own five, and they are all paid for. What I learned from that experience was clear: authenticity wins. PSY didn't chase trends—he owned his culture. That's exactly how I approach P-Pop. Jerry: And that brings us to Popolo Music Group. Paul Lunt: PMG is more than a label. It's a creative and cultural ecosystem for artists. We train them, protect their rights, give them global infrastructure, and let them lead their own narrative. This isn't just music—it's empowerment. Jerry: Who are the current PMG acts? Paul Lunt: Our first wave includes: LUNARIA , our celestial girl group blending ethereal pop and multilingual storytelling. We may change the name as there is another band fighting us. , our celestial girl group blending ethereal pop and multilingual storytelling. We may change the name as there is another band fighting us. BOLERO BOYS , our emotionally complex boy band with strong visuals and choreography. , our emotionally complex boy band with strong visuals and choreography. ARIA , a powerhouse female soloist with vocal depth and crossover potential. , a powerhouse female soloist with vocal depth and crossover potential. CHIQUITA X, our experimental solo artist fusing trap with Filipino folk instrumentation. And I'm excited to share this: our next big act, THE BOLERO BOYS, is in the final phase of development. They're going to bring modern flair to classic Filipino harmony—think old-school romance meets streetwear swagger. Jerry: When will we hear the first official PMG release? Paul Lunt: The rollout begins this September with Aria's debut single, followed closely by Lunaria's EP and Aria's first music video. By December, you'll hear the Bolero Boys. There is already a limited edition of the single She Can Do It All Night out there to test the market. We've been developing everything in-house—choreography, songwriting, even directing. We're making sure every release is a statement . Jerry: PMG isn't just focused on music production. Tell us about Popolo Live. Paul Lunt: Popolo Live is our global touring division. We don't want Filipino artists only opening for others. We also want them headlining. We've already launched our Islands Rising series in Manila, Dubai, and Europe. Next stops: Los Angeles, Doha, New York, Tokyo, and Sydney. These aren't dreams—they're being booked. Jerry: You've expressed admiration for Viva Records. Can you talk about that? Paul Lunt: Viva built the foundation that made everything we're doing possible. I have deep respect for Boss Vic and Vincent del Rosario. They carried OPM through decades of industry storms. If there's an opportunity to collaborate—whether that's artist mentorship or a joint cultural project—PMG is ready. Jerry: That ties into the Sarah Geronimo rumors. Are you trying to work with her? Paul Lunt: [Smiles] I'd be honored. Sarah is iconic. If she ever wants to create a legacy-defining piece with a new generation of talent, we would give her full creative freedom and a global platform. That would be more than a collaboration—it would be history. We wrote five songs for her and we are eager to present them to her and convince her to record them. Jerry: Where do you see P-Pop and PMG five years from now? Paul Lunt: P-Pop will be on the Grammy stage. PMG artists will be headlining Coachella. Filipino music will no longer be the underdog. It'll be a standard. And behind it, you'll see a community of creatives who refused to stay silent. That's the legacy I'm working toward. Jerry: Final message to young artists out there? Paul Lunt: Own your story. Don't copy. Don't wait for validation. Learn your craft, protect your rights, and be fearless. The world is ready for us. Let's give them something unforgettable. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Perth Now
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Jerry O'Connell and Rebecca Romijn keep their money separate
Jerry O'Connell and Rebecca Romijn keep their money in separate bank accounts. The couple - who have been married since 2007 and have twin daughters Dolly and Charlie together - lifted the lid on their finances during a joint appearance on SiriusXM's Andy Cohen show, revealing they keep the money they earn but pay into a "community pot" for parenting expenses. Host Cohen turned the conversation towards money by describing Rebecca as the breadwinner in the household since Jerry's run co-hosting The Talk TV show ended last year, and the actress, 52, said: "We keep our money completely separate ... There's, like, a community pot." The X-Men star went on to explain the couple made the decision to keep their money separate right at the start of their marriage, saying: "That's like one of the first conversations you have when you decide to enter into a legal agreement together." Jerry also pointed out how much money they put into their "community pot" varies and depends on how much work is coming in. He said: "I have to say, we actually throttle how much money we put into that account sometimes," and his wife added: "The one who's not working gets a little bit of a break and the one who is working puts in a little more. And we really tag-team with work." Rebecca revealed the couple's work also depends on childcare because they promised to always make sure one of them was home to care for their daughters, who are now 17 years old. She said: "We also decided when our girls were born that one of us would always stay home with our daughters. So, no one else was ever going to raise them besides the parents." Jerry previously admitted he hopes his girls follow him into showbusiness after he started his career at the age of 11 with a role in Stand By Me. He told UsWeekly: "I have one daughter who's auditioning for the school musical. They're doing Urinetown, so we went to [dinner] last night and we went over her lines in the diner, so that was really funny. I'm going to have a couple nepo babies! "I'm throwing it out there. It's the family business!"
Business Wire
15-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Levelpath Names Jerry Brooner as Chief Revenue Officer
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Levelpath, the leading AI-native procurement platform, today announced Jerry Brooner as Chief Revenue Officer to accelerate the company's growth and market expansion. Brooner brings over 20 years of enterprise SaaS leadership experience to the role, with a proven track record of scaling revenue organizations through rapid growth phases and successful exits. Most recently, he served as President of Global Field Operations at Enable, a cloud-based SaaS solution, where he helped drive 20x revenue growth from Series A to Series E funding rounds. "Jerry's deep procurement expertise and revenue leadership make him the ideal CRO to help us scale our impact," said Stan Garber, President and Co-founder of Levelpath. "We have successfully built innovative solutions together before at Scout RFP, and I am excited to reunite our proven team as we transform how enterprises approach procurement." Prior to Enable, Brooner was Chief Revenue Officer at Scout RFP (acquired by Workday), where he led significant expansion in both revenue and customer base. His earlier experience includes scaling enterprise sales at Dropbox, SAP, Callidus (acquired by SAP) and Siebel Systems (acquired by Oracle). 'Levelpath is redefining procurement as a strategic advantage, where AI-native insights meet seamless collaboration to deliver measurable business impact," said Brooner. "I am excited to be back collaborating with our former Scout RFP executive team as we empower enterprises to move into intelligent procurement that drives growth, operational excellence and delight across the business.' Jerry joins Levelpath at a pivotal moment for the company, following several major milestones including: - Gartner® Hype Cycle™ Recognition: Levelpath was recognized as a Sample Vendor for both Generative AI for Procurement and Intake Management in the 2025 Gartner® Hype Cycle for Procurement and Sourcing Solutions, underscoring the company's leadership in redefining the future of procurement with AI-native technology. View research. - $55+ Million Series B Financing: The company recently secured a $55+ million Series B funding round led by Battery Ventures, fueling continued innovation and global expansion. As part of the funding, Battery's General Partner Neeraj Agrawal will join Levelpath's board of directors. Agrawal, who has made multiple appearances on the Forbes Midas List and coined the "T2D3" growth paradigm for SaaS businesses, previously led Battery's investment in Coupa, which went public in 2016 and was acquired for approximately $8 billion in 2023. View announcement. - AI Masterclass Series: Levelpath launched an AI Masterclass Series bringing together leading procurement innovators with SSM Health kicking off the series to demonstrate how organizations achieve transformational results through AI-native procurement solutions. The series recognizes that effective AI adoption extends beyond technology implementation, it requires strategic vision, operational mastery, and collaborative learning. Through monthly interactive sessions and peer engagement, participants explore how AI-native platforms are revolutionizing procurement's capacity to deliver measurable value, ensure compliance, and meet dynamic business requirements with unmatched agility. From emerging AI adopters to advanced practitioners, procurement professionals can leverage these masterclasses to transition from AI-curious explorers to AI-powered leaders, establishing their organizations as frontrunners in the intelligent procurement landscape. AI-Native Procurement Delivers Transformational Results Levelpath's AI-native platform is driving measurable business impact across leading organizations: InnovaCare unified procurement across 47 facilities, achieving 60% faster procurement cycles and consolidating 18% of overlapping contracts. The implementation saved the equivalent of two full-time employee salaries. Ace Hardware connected 16 distribution centers and empowered 1,000+ employees with mobile p rocurement access, achieving 100% adoption of Levelpath Intake Management. The organization succeeded with less headcount than originally budgeted in capacity. SSM Health revolutionized procurement across 23 hospitals, empowering 30,000+ employees to collaborate in real time. The platform enabled 20 dedicated professionals to efficiently manage 4,500+ contracts while saving 3,350+ hours on tariff contract reviews. Zendesk transformed procurement workflows into a unified, transparent process. This greatly improved visibility and collaboration, unlocking procurement's role as a strategic business driver. Congruex deployed the AI-native platform for intelligent negotiation and workflow automation. This enabled rapid scaling and proactive supplier management while setting new standards for procurement innovation. To learn more about Levelpath's AI-native procurement platform, join our Monthly Demo on Thursday, July 31st, at 8:30 am PT / 11:30 am ET. The 30-minute session will showcase how organizations are using AI-native architecture to reduce cycle times, automate manual processes, and scale procurement operations. Reserve your spot here. About Levelpath Levelpath is the leading AI-native procurement platform transforming how global enterprises manage indirect spend. Built from the ground up for the AI era, our platform unifies procurement operations through intelligent automation, featuring an intuitive stakeholder interface, advanced workflow orchestration, and our proprietary Hyperbridge reasoning engine that delivers real-time intelligence and complete visibility across all procurement activities. Trusted by leading Fortune enterprises worldwide, including Ace Hardware, Amgen, Coupang, Fortrea, GATX, SiriusXM, SSM Health, and Western Union, Levelpath's AI-native architecture enables organizations to collaborate smarter, operate faster, and scale procurement operations that drive measurable business value. Headquartered in San Francisco, Levelpath is backed by Battery, Benchmark, Redpoint Ventures, 01A, Menlo Ventures, NewView Capital, and World Innovation Lab. Learn more at or connect with us on LinkedIn.
GMA Network
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Jerry Yan after F4 reunion: 'Thank you for the wonderful memories and youth'
Jerry Yan flexed his ageless looks in his latest Instagram photos. The actor and singer shared snaps taken at the F4 reunion at the Mayday concert. Jerry was dapper in his ensemble composed of a black beaded blazer, white vest, and black trousers. 'The reunion of youth and youthful memories is never the end, but a new journey that opens up in memories,' Jerry said in his caption, according to the translation. 'We are thus able to bring our young self and soul back into our skin bag and then once again to the next journey, a happier and more fulfilling journey,' he added. He said in another post, 'Thank you for the wonderful memories and youth.' Over the weekend, Jerry, Vic Chou, Vanness Wu, and Ken Chu made a special appearance as F4 during Taiwanese rock band Mayday's 25th anniversary concert in Taiwan. Dressed in dashing suits, the four took to the stage to perform their hit song "Meteor Rain" alongside the Mayday members, delighting fans with a nostalgic and unforgettable moment. F4 was formed in 2001 following the success of the hit Taiwanese drama "Meteor Garden," where they starred with the late Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu. The series follows the life of Dong Shan Cai (Barbie) and her encounters with four wealthy boys, Dao Ming Si (Jerry), Xi Men (Ken), Mei Zuo (Vanness), and Hua Ze Lei (Vic), at school. As a boy band, they released three albums: "Meteor Rain" in 2001, "Fantasy 4ever" in 2002 and "Waiting For You" in 2007. The group's last appearance was in 2020 for Jiangsu TV's Kuaishou "One Thousand and One Nights" event. —Nika Roque/JCB, GMA Integrated News
Irish Examiner
14-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Watch: Jerry from Kerry at the 2025 Cahirmee Horse Fair
The weather and the economy couldn't dampen the spirits at the annual Cahirmee Horse Fair in Buttevant, Irish Examiner chief photographer Dan Linehan speaks to Jerry from Kerry was looking for a fair price for his Cob jack.
