Deborah Dugan

Deborah Dugan is an American executive who was the president and chief executive officer of The Recording Academy from August 1, 2019 to January 16, 2020, until placed on administrative leave.

During her early years working in the music industry, Dugan had worked for EMI, Capitol Records and SBK Records.

Deborah Dugan has served as CEO of (RED), which was co-founded by Bono and Bobby Shriver. The nonprofit foundation is aimed at the eradication of AIDS.

On May 8, 2019, the board of trustees of The Recording Academy confirmed that Deborah Dugan would be the next president and CEO of The Recording Academy. Deborah Dugan began her tenure as president of The Recording Academy on August 1, 2019, succeeding Neil Portnow as president. Dugan is the first woman to serve as president of the Recording Academy.

On January 16, 2020, Dugan was relieved of her duties as president and CEO and placed on administrative leave from the organization. Dugan was accused of bullying her assistant, resulting in the assistant being forced to take a leave of absence. Recording Academy Chairman Harvey Mason Jr. took over as interim president and chief executive officer. In response, Dugan made claims that the Recording Academy was complicit in corruption, citing "voting irregularities, financial mismanagement, 'exorbitant and unnecessary' legal bills, and conflicts of interest involving members of the academy’s board, executive committee and outside lawyers".