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Warner Bros A&R chief to run label as Miles Leonard focuses on Parlophone
By Chris Cooke | Published on Wednesday 20 April 2016
Warner Bros Records UK has its own chief once again, its top exec having had dual roles within the wider Warner UK empire in recent years.
The label’s UK A&R boss Phil Christie has been promoted to the role of President. He basically takes over from Miles Leonard, who has headed up both Warner Bros and Parlophone since Warner acquired the latter back in 2013. Leonard will now focus full time on the Parlophone division.
If you think that rejig underscores Warner Music’s commitment to continually investing in its family of successful frontline labels, well, you have friends in high places. “Christie’s appointment underscores the company’s commitment to continually investing in its family of successful frontline labels”, said the mini-major in a statement yesterday.
“This move marks the first time the Warner Bros Records UK label will have standalone leadership since 2008”, it said. “As well as allowing Miles Leonard, who has occupied the dual role of Chairman for both Parlophone and Warner Bros Records UK for almost three years, to focus on the continued resurgence of Parlophone”.
But enough of these anonymous statements, I hear you grumble, what does overall Warner Music UK chief Max Lousada have to say for himself? “It has always been our goal to build a family of distinctive, independently-minded frontline labels with their own unique cultures and creative identities”, says he. “So I’m delighted that Warner Bros and Parlophone will each return to having sole leadership”.
Leonard has “been instrumental in setting the direction for the future of Warner Bros Records here in the UK”, he added, while “Phil is a really inspiring executive who, throughout his career, has signed some of the UK’s most original acts and who has the energy, ideas and instincts to write the next chapter in the Warner Bros Records story”.
What, he’s got to write a biography of Warner Bros Records too? Good job they are giving the division is own full time chief then.
