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UK Music boss Michael Dugher to stand down
By Chris Cooke | Published on Monday 9 December 2019
The boss of cross-sector trade group UK Music, Michael Dugher, has announced he is standing down to take on a new job running the Betting And Gaming Council, a recently revamped organisation representing the gambling sector.
The former Labour MP joined UK Music back in 2017, overseeing the organisation as it coordinated the music industry’s joined-up campaigning on the European Copyright Directive. Other initiatives on his watch included working with the grassroots venues in their bid to change unfair planning laws, and putting pressure on the political community to do more to support music education and the music industry’s future talent pipeline.
Confirming his decision to depart UK Music, Dugher said on Friday: “It has been an immense privilege to serve as CEO at UK Music for nearly three years. We have achieved great things for an industry that makes a huge and positive contribution to our country. I have always believed in the power of music to transform lives and I am grateful for the opportunity UK Music’s members gave me back in 2017 to play a part in what is a wonderful organisation. I hope I have made a difference”.
“I have been lucky to work with some phenomenally talented and deeply committed people, on the staff and amongst our member organisations”, he added, referencing the various music industry trade groups that come together as UK Music. “In particular, I’d like to pay tribute to UK Music’s outstanding founding Chairman, Andy Heath, for believing in me and for showing me every personal support. I hope that UK Music has a profile and a reach today that can enable it to achieve even greater things in future”.
The there mentioned Heath added: “Michael has done a truly outstanding job and we are very sorry indeed to lose a man who has helped give the music industry in the UK a presence, influence and reputation, which it thoroughly deserves, but has not always in the past been able to communicate. The team at UK Music are first class and will continue the exceptional work it has shown in the last few years. We all, and I personally, wish Michael every success in the future and I look forward to him attending many of our functions in the future”.
Dugher will formally depart UK Music at the end of January. His deputy, Tom Kiehl, will take on the CEO role on an interim basis while a full-time replacement is recruited.
