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MPA elects new chair, appoints new GM
By Chris Cooke | Published on Friday 5 June 2015
The Music Publishers Association has a brand new Chair in the form of Jackie Alway, Universal Music Publishing’s VP International Legal & Industry Affairs. She takes over from outgoing Chair Chris Butler, off of Music Sales Group, on 1 Jul.
Confirming her new role, Alway took a few moments away from all the many BBC Music Day festivities to tell reporters: “I love being a music publisher and love the work that the MPA does for music publishers. I will be proud to represent music publishers as Chair of the MPA. I look forward to working the MPA team and my friends and colleagues on the board and throughout the industry to build on the MPA’s achievements to date”.
The publishers’ trade group also announced the appointment of a new General Manager – Claire McAuley – who joins the organisation from ad agency TBWA\Media Arts Lab, having previously also worked at Universal Music Publishing.
The GM role is being reinstated at the MPA following the recent and somewhat sudden departure of its CEO (and former GM) Sarah Osborn. Which perhaps suggests that Jane Dyball – the head of the publishers’ licensing bodies MCPS, PMLL and IMPEL – and who became interim CEO at the MPA following Osborn’s departure, may well stay on in that role, albeit in a slightly less hands-on capacity than her predecessor.
But such speculation isn’t appropriate on something as grand as BBC Music Day. So instead, here’s Dyball commenting on today’s developments: “We must pay tribute to Chris Butler who has successfully steered the organisation through a period of immense change, taking its wholly owned subsidiary MCPS out of the PRS Alliance, and starting a new collection society in the form of PMLL”.
She goes on: “However all good things must come to an end and Jackie Alway will be a fantastic replacement. Already committed to the MPA through her work on its board and committees, and to the music publishing sector in general, I look forward to working with Jackie over the next few years when there is so much to be done. Meanwhile, it is important that the team at the MPA have detailed knowledge of the music publishing business and to that end I am delighted to welcome Claire McAuley in the newly created role of General Manager”.
The MPA has also confirmed that its AGM will take place on 1 Jul. Hopefully everyone will have recovered from the excitement of BBC Music Day by then.
