FROM THE TOP EDWARD “BUD” COLE I FENDER
under the FMIC umbrella has its own distinct identity and sensibility. Its own voice, its own player and its own story. And through the lens of this family of brands, we’re able to give players something truly meaningful — choice. The ability for players to find the instrument, the brand and the sound that speaks to them. Expression is personal. It’s deeply individual. And our job is to honor that across every brand, in every market, for every player at every stage of their journey. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR MANAGEMENT STYLE? Bold. Honest. Inspired. And always, always learning. I’m decisive, but I lead with heart. My job isn’t to have all the
ibly exciting.
DO YOU PLAY AN INSTRUMENT YOURSELF, AND, IF SO, HOW DOES THAT INFLUENCE YOUR LEADERSHIP? Absolutely, and honestly, I think it’s everything. I’m a singer, strummer and a songwriter at heart. I came up in the Arizona music scene in the 1990s. My band, Rain Conven- tion, recorded hundreds of songs and played thousands of nights. And I never stopped. I still write regularly. I have a collec- tion of about 50 guitars now, but the one that goes every- where is my very first guitar — a Made in Japan 1969 Thin - line Telecaster Reissue. I’ve had it my whole life. It’s where everything started. HOW FUN! WHAT’S THE LAST SONG OR BAND YOU STREAMED?
answers, it’s to create an environment where people feel safe enough to find their own [and] to get as many people to move from compliance to commit- ment. When that shift happens and you create a highly motivated, highly skilled team, it’s electric. You can feel it.
“AT THE CORE OF IT, I’M A SERVANT LEADER. AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT FENDER REPRESENTS … BEING A SERVANT LEADER HERE FEELS LESS LIKE A STYLE CHOICE AND MORE LIKE A RESPONSIBILITY.”
Just this morning I was looking around and ended up watching “Searching” by INXS — their 1996 ARIA Awards performance. The rawness, the performance and the emotion — it reminds you that mu- sic isn’t just entertainment. Michael Hutchence and the band, despite ev - erything going on in their lives at the time, showed up and delivered some- thing unforgettable. That’s what music does. It’s a feeling. It’s a memory. It’s a connection.
At the core of it, I’m a servant leader. And when you think about what Fender represents, 80 years of shaping music culture, the No. 1 electric guitar and bass brand in the world, being a ser- vant leader here feels less like a style choice and more like a responsibility. We have a moral duty to the players — current and future — who pick up a guitar and use it to express something they can’t say any other way. Music matters. Guitars matter. And it’s both a privilege and an honor to inspire and empower the people around me to honor that. ARE THERE ANY PRELIMINARY GOALS YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE AS CEO? We’re entering an incredibly exciting phase of strategic brand evolution, and at the heart of everything is a simple, unwavering commitment: support current and new players. That means leading the market through innovation and pushing the boundaries of what a guitar brand can be, what it can offer, and how it can show up in a player’s life. It also means evolving alongside our players — understand- ing how they create, how they connect and how culture itself continues to shift, so we can meet them where they are and grow with them. It means sharing the brand in new, meaningful ways — deepening our relationships with the artist community, affirming the importance of playing and making music to help people feel something. It means reminding people why Fender matters. I don’t want to give too much away just yet, but I’ll say this: We’re just getting started. The future ahead is incred-
WHERE DO YOU HOPE TO SEE FENDER GO UNDER YOUR TENURE? I’ll say this plainly: 2026 is going to be one of the most exciting years in Fender’s history. And that’s just the begin- ning. I want to see Fender everywhere that matters, not just on stages and in studios, but in communities, in cities and in living rooms — anywhere someone is picking up a guitar for the very first time and has finally found their avenue of expression and their musical voice. I also want to continue pushing the boundaries of what our guitars can be, building on the innovation we’ve driv- en over the past 80 years. IF YOU WEREN’T WORKING IN THE MI INDUSTRY, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’D BE DO- ING FOR WORK? I’d be an author. Books have always meant something profound to me. Not just as a reader, but as a concept. A book is a tool. It’s someone reaching across time and saying, “Here’s what I learned. Here’s what I felt. Here’s what I want you to carry forward.” MI
28 I MUSIC INC. I MAY 2026
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