Beggars division XL Recordings have promoted Senior A&R Manager Ben Beardsworth to the role of Managing Director.
The label's owner, Richard Russell, will become chairman and CEO, and will take on a more creative role. Russell, Beardsworth and Beggars boss and XL co-owner Martin Mills together will form the company's senior management group. With XL still one of the most successful independent labels of the moment, it is quite an achievement for Beardsworth, who joined the label in 1997 in a clubs promotion role.
Commenting on his new appointment, Beardsworth told CMU: "I'm thrilled to be taking on more responsibility. It's exciting times for all of us here at XL. 2005 is proving to be a very successful year, we have a couple of really hot new acts lined up for the start of 2006, and now we'll have Richard [Russell], whose creativity has always been the basis of XL's success, focusing all his energy on that side of things".
Russell added: "Ben is a uniquely talented and well-rounded executive who has proven his abilities time and time again, so I'm delighted that he has this opportunity. In turn I am looking forward to spending as much time as possible doing what I love, which is being hands-on and creative, and working with our artists to help them achieve great results".