Brian Platt

Brian Platt serves as Partner and Director of Public Policy for UMusic Hotels Development (UMHD), a real estate development company created in collaboration with Universal Music Group. The company develops music and entertainment hubs in cities across North America, operating where culture, economic development, and public and private partnerships meet. These hubs include performance venues, recording studios, a music school, and Universal Music Group-branded luxury hotels and residences. The goal of these developments is to create places that support creativity, encourage music tourism, and highlight emerging artists and the next generation of talent in the music industry.

Before joining the company, Brian spent 12 years working in city government, including serving as City Manager in Kansas City, Missouri, and Jersey City, New Jersey. In Kansas City, he helped lead more than $5 billion in redevelopment projects within less than 5 years, representing a period of major growth and development across the city. He also introduced sustainability initiatives such as planting 10,000 trees over three years and supporting the development of one of the largest solar arrays in the United States, reflecting a long-term commitment to environmental resilience.

In Jersey City, Brian first worked as Chief Innovation Officer and later became Business Administrator and City Manager. During this time, he helped the city achieve record levels of housing construction, comparable to those in Manhattan, New York City. In both cities, he worked to strengthen the delivery of core services, including record levels of street resurfacing and improved snow removal operations. He also helped expand resources that supported low-income families and individuals experiencing homelessness.

Earlier in his career, Brian worked in management consulting for McKinsey & Company and served as a kindergarten teacher through Teach For America. He also volunteered as an Emergency Medical Responder with United Rescue in Jersey City and served for 10 years as a volunteer firefighter in his hometown of Mountain Lakes, NJ.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Emory University in Georgia and later completed a Master’s in Public Administration at Columbia University in New York. Throughout his career, Brian Platt has received recognition for leadership, academic achievement, and community service.