U.K. TRADE ORGS SHUFFLE LEADERSHIP

There’s been a number of changes at the top of trade organisations in the U.K.: Paul Clements is exiting PRS for Music to join The Music Publishers Association Group as CEO; Vick Bain, Chief Officer at The British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA), is leaving for pastures new; and Alison Wenham is stepping down as Chief Exec of independent network WIN.

Clements was previously Executive Director at PRS, where he’s spent the last 22 years. He replaces outgoing MPA CEO Jane Dyball in his new role, which starts from February 2019.

In addition to being the trade association for U.K. music publishers, the MPA group comprises Mechanical Copyright Protection Society, which is on course to distribute more that £140m of mechanical royalties in 2018, and Printed Music Licensing Ltd, which licenses the photocopying of printed music.

Robert Ashcroft, outgoing Chief Executive of PRS for Music said: “I would like to congratulate Paul on his appointment and look forward to working with him in his new capacity as Chief Executive of the MPA Group of Companies.

“Under his stewardship of our licensing division, revenues have grown consistently, allowing us to distribute more money every year to our songwriter, composer and publisher members. Paul’s knowledge of our industry, commercial expertise and longstanding relationships will serve him well in his new role.”

Bain is leaving BASCA after 13 years and six as CEO. The move follows a period of ill-health, from which she has now fully recovered.

“I have endured a difficult year, overcoming breast cancer and other related conditions,” she said. “I have now officially received the all-clear and am feeling fighting fit but after experiencing a life-threatening condition and reviewing my priorities I feel the time is right to hand over the reins to someone else, and focus on other ambitions, of which I have many.”

Wenham has spent 12 years at the helm of The Worldwide Independent Network (WIN) since founding it in 2006, and was previously CEO of The Association of Independent Music (AIM), which she launched in '99.

Discussing her decision to leave, Wenham said: “It has been a pleasure and a privilege to devote two decades of my life and career to helping ensure the stability and continued growth of the independent music sector. I am immensely proud of all we have achieved in that time and independent music will remain a passion of mine. I have decided, however, that the time is now right, with the organization in good health, to step down from my position at WIN. I want to thank everybody I have worked with over the years for their incredible support.”

Current WIN Chairman Martin Mills said: “Alison has been a force of nature for all of us, and a central factor in indies being able to compete worldwide with companies many times their size. As she moves on, she leaves us strong and thriving, and looking forward to many fruitful seasons. For that we are eternally grateful to her."