Sony Music has announced it has recruited Philippe Ascoli to the job of Senior A&R Director for its Columbia UK division. He will join the major in September.
Ascoli has spent much of his recent music business career working in various roles at EMI, holding a number of jobs at Virgin Records in both the UK and France, including being MD of both Virgin UK and Virgin France, and along the way founding Virgin's seminal French dance imprint Source, and various other Source spin offs.
Confirming Ascoli's appointment to Sony, Columbia MD Mike Smith told CMU: "I am thrilled to be able to welcome Philippe to be a part of the label. I've loved many of the artists that Philippe has signed since I first came across his Source label. He is one of the rare and great music men in the industry that I've always wanted to work with and I am looking forward to him taking Columbia's talent roster to the next level".
Ascoli himself added: "I am very happy to be joining Mike and his team at Columbia Records. To me the Columbia label has always represented one of the greatest legacies in A&R culture and I am proud to be here as part of the same label as many of my musical heroes".
Ascoli replaces Columbia A&R exec Nick Huggett, who is off to become director of A&R over at Universal's Island Records. Commenting on Huggett's departure, Smith added: "I'd also like to wish departing head of A&R Nick Huggett all the best in his future endeavors and thank him for his contribution to the label over the past two years".