SMITH DEPARTS WARNER CHAPPELL

Warner Chappell U.K. boss Mike Smith is stepping down from his role after four years for family reasons. A replacement will be announced in due course, according to a statement from global chiefs Guy Moot and Carianne Marshall.

Smith was named MD of the British company in 2016 by Jon Platt after spending time at Virgin EMI as President of Music. The exec described his stint at the pubco as "hugely rewarding."

“I want to thank all of my colleagues around the world, and the amazing songwriting talent I’ve had the privilege to work with for their love and support,” he said. "These past few years have been a very special time for the company, culminating with four of our artists — Celeste, Dave, Foals and Stormzy — picking up awards at this year’s Brits. As I leave the company for family reasons, I know that things are in good hands under the guidance of Guy and Carianne, and I wish them and everyone at the company the very best moving forward. We’re currently enjoying an amazingly creative period in our industry, and I look forward to my next challenge, which I hope will be in the not too distant future.”

In a joint statement, Moot and Marshall said: “We’re sorry to see him leave and we wish him all the very best for the future. We’re really proud of everything our team and our songwriters are achieving and will be sharing exciting news about our new U.K. leadership in due course.”

Prior to Virgin EMI, Smith held senior roles at Columbia Records, Mercury and EMI Music Publishing. Acts he's signed throughout his career include Mark Ronson, Calvin Harris, Gossip, Iggy Azalea, The Chemical Brothers, The Libertines and Squeeze.