Youthful Passion Leads to Music Group's Inner Circle

By Karen-Janine Cohen

Cesar Toirac's mother hoped he'd become a dentist. After all, she was a dentist in Cuba, before his parents immigrated in 1995 to the U.S. and settled in Miami. But early on, Toirac was attracted to the mystique of logos and brand names. Pop culture and MTV fascinated him. Deconstructing hip-hop, rock and rap performances and hearing record label executives discuss their work revealed inner workings of the music business. And he wanted to be part of it.

Toirac (MSM '17, BBA '16) followed his enthusiasm through FIU Business undergraduate and graduate programs and now, having just turned 31, is director of marketing partnerships, Latin America at Warner Music Group. He's promoted both Latin and Anglo artists, including Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa and Myke Towers.

He wanted to work with a record label but heeded an FIU career counselor's advice he received as an FIU Business student: Take opportunities that arise. His first post-BBA job was at Discovery Channel. It wasn't music-related, but it was a chance to put "entertainment" on his resume.

An internship at Universal Music Group, where he did data analysis, followed as Toirac was finishing his master's degree. Facebook's sales team was his next job. He then worked in the company's newly formed music department, guiding record labels in making the most of social media advertising.

"That was when I started getting deep into the music industry," he said. Afterhours socializing was key. Toirac would step out from his Brickell apartment to sample the Miami music scene. The nightclubs and industry mixers, he explained, is where business often happens.

He met the person who would bring him into Warner at a music event (Now, he's toned things down, is engaged and is a new homeowner).

At Warner, he started in digital marketing, working his way up to marketing services director and director of marketing partnerships, a post he's held for two years. His focus is as much on numbers as on music. He said that Gustavo Mosquera, FIU Business associate teaching professor of marketing and logistics, was especially impactful. "He opened my eyes to the importance of numbers and statistics when it comes to marketing," he said. "It's the bread and butter of what we do every single day".

Nurturing artists and understanding numbers is how good partnerships arise, Toirac shared: "They have to be creative, but the numbers have to make sense." He was a speaker at the fall 2023 FIU Business student resource fair and was in Forbes' 2024 "30 Under 30."

When not at work, he likes to relax at home playing video games.