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Suzanne Smith steps down as Managing Director of PPL and PRS joint venture
By Andy Malt | Published on Tuesday 12 February 2019
PPL and PRS For Music’s joint venture PPL PRS Ltd has announced that Suzanne Smith is stepping down as its Managing Director.
Smith has been with the company since its inception in 2017. The JV was set up to facilitate a simpler single licence for businesses which play recorded music in public. It means those businesses can cover the recording rights (repped by PPL) and song rights (repped by PRS) in one licence. As MD, Smith oversaw the launch of that new licensing system and the new joint venture that administrates it all.
Announcing her departure, PPL CEO Peter Leathem said: “Suzanne, with her drive and energy, has been invaluable in building the foundations of PPL PRS Ltd over the last two years. We are grateful to her for the commitment and dedication she has shown to this initiative to simplify access to the licences businesses need when they play or perform music and wish her every success in the future”.
PRS For Music Chief Executive Robert Ashcroft added: “We are indebted to Suzanne for her leadership both before and after the launch of the business and look forward to building on the foundations she has created, to communicating the value that music brings to businesses and to growing the royalty revenues on which our respective memberships depend”.
PPL COO Christine Geissmar will take Smith’s place on an interim basis, until a permanent replacement is appointed.
