Cesar Gueikian (born 2 January 1977) is an Armenian-Argentine, naturalized American business executive and the current President and chief executive officer (CEO) of Gibson, Inc., the American manufacturer of guitars and other musical instruments. He joined the company in 2018 and was confirmed as permanent CEO on July 10, 2023, after serving as interim CEO since May of that year, and Brand President prior.[1][2][3][4]
Cesar Gueikian | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2 January 1977 Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Citizenship | Argentina United States |
| Education | University of San Andrés University of Chicago Booth School of Business |
| Occupations | President and chief executive officer (CEO) of Gibson, Inc. |
| Spouse | Amanda Church |
Early life and education
editGueikian was born in Argentina to an Armenian family.[5] He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business administration from the University of San Andrés in Buenos Aires.[6] He later completed an MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, with a focus on analytical finance and economics.[7]
Career
editBefore joining Gibson, Gueikian co-founded Melody Capital Partners, a private investment firm focused on corporate financing and restructuring. During his tenure, Melody grew from approximately $100 million to over $1.5 billion in assets under management. He also held senior positions in investment banking, including at UBS, where he led the Special Situations and Leveraged Finance Capital Markets groups, and earlier at Deutsche Bank.[8]
In November 2018, Gueikian joined Gibson as Chief Merchant Officer (CMO). Upon his arrival, he was involved in steering Gibson through a strategic shift that emphasized product innovation, brand revitalization, and media expansion. This included launching initiatives such as Gibson Labs, expanding into media with Gibson TV, and increasing direct-to-consumer engagement.[9][10][11]
In May 2023, he was appointed interim CEO; later, on July 10, 2023, the Board of Directors confirmed him as president and CEO.[12]
As CEO, Gueikian has been associated with initiatives to expand Gibson's collaborations with musicians, reintroduce legacy guitar models, and strengthen the company's sub-brands, including Epiphone and Kramer.[13][14] He has also been noted for using social media platforms to communicate with customers and highlight upcoming releases.[15]
Gueikian is also a musician, guitarist and songwriter and performs an eclectic range of music genres. He has co-written and released music with artists including Slash and Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses (‘I Can Breathe’), and with Serj Tankian of System of a Down, featuring Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath (‘Deconstruction’).[16][17][18][19]
References
edit- ^ Breathnach, Cillian (11 July 2023). "Cesar Gueikian is now permanent CEO of Gibson". Guitar.com. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
- ^ "Gibson Brands Appoints Cesar Gueikian as Permanent CEO". Audio Xpress. 10 July 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
- ^ Maxwell, Jackson (2 May 2023). "Cesar Gueikian appointed President, Interim CEO of Gibson". Guitar World. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
- ^ "Nombran al guitarrista argentino César Gueikian CEO de los icónicos instrumentos Gibson". Infobae (in Spanish). 11 July 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
- ^ Tadevosyan, Ara (15 April 2024). "Gibson CEO Cesar Gueikian: I love Armenian traditions and the sense of community". Mediamax. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
- ^ "César Gueikian es el Graduado Destacado 2024". Universidad de San Andrés (in Spanish). 15 April 2025. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
- ^ Berardi, Luján (29 November 2023). "Tocó con Slash, Metallica y Fito: el argentino que salvó de la quiebra a la marca de guitarras más "épica" del mundo". La Nación (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 September 2025.
- ^ "Gibson: Shaping The Sound of Music Since 1894". OZ Arts Nashville. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
- ^ Major, Michael (10 July 2023). "Gibson Brands Appoints Cesar Gueikian as Permanent CEO". Broadway World. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
- ^ Koe, Crystal (20 October 2023). "Cesar Gueikian says previous leadership "lost focus of what makes Gibson Gibson — which is making the best guitars ever made"". Guitar.com. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
- ^ Toro, Martín (1 April 2022). "La mente detrás de Gibson: César Gueikian". Rolling Stone (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 September 2025.
- ^ Sanders, Shane (13 July 2023). "Cesar Gueikian confirmed as President and CEO of Gibson Brands". Gibson. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
- ^ Guiñazú, Mathias (17 September 2025). "El argentino que rescató de la bancarrota a Gibson, la marca de guitarras de hasta 100 mil dólares". Clarin (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 September 2025.
- ^ Ambrosini, Antonella (23 August 2025). "El argentino que transformó Gibson y hoy lidera la marca de guitarras más elegida por las leyendas del rock". Forbes Argentina (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 September 2025.
- ^ Weller, Phil (14 January 2025). ""I've already played it 14 times this month." Gibson CEO Cesar Gueikian teases the return of a forgotten '70s Gibson guitar and a brand-new Mesa/Boogie amp on the eve of NAMM 2025". Guitar Player. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
- ^ Grow, Kory (8 December 2023). "System of a Down's Serj Tankian, Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi Team for New Charity Single". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
- ^ DiVita, Joe (8 December 2023). "Tony Iommi + Serj Tankian Team Up With Gibson CEO on Doomy New Song 'Deconstruction'". Loudwire. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
- ^ "Gibson Band Featuring Slash, Duff McKagan, and Cesar Gueikian Announce Benefit Single". Premier Guitar. 3 December 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
- ^ Zukowski, Zenae (11 December 2023). "Gibson Trio Featuring Serj Tankian, Tony Iommi, and Cesar Gueikian unveils charity single "Deconstruction"". Metal Insider. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
