Parlophone Records chairman Miles Leonard has made the decision to leave the front-line Warner label in 2018, Billboard has learned.
The long-standing and highly respected executive has held the role of Parlophone chairman since 2013 when Warner acquired the historic British label from EMI.
From 2013 to April 2016, Leonard was also co-chairman for the U.K. arm of Warner Bros. Records before stepping aside to concentrate fully on running Parlophone.
Leonard first joined the then EMI-owned label in 1996 after stints at Virgin Records (where he signed The Verve) and Roadrunner Records. During his 20-plus years at Parlophone, the exec played a key role in developing the careers of numerous hit British artists including Coldplay, Gorillaz, Kylie Minogue, Lily Allen, Tinie Tempah and Blur.
Billboard understands that Leonard notified his bosses at Warner -- including new Warner Music Group, CEO, Recorded Music, Max Lousada -- about his decision to stand down several months ago and has been heavily involved in ensuring a seamless transition for when he leaves. Until then, sources say he will turn his focus to A&R at the label is understood to be exploring an ongoing relationship with the major.
Mooted replacements for his successor as Parlophone chairman include Atlantic Records U.K. general manager Mark Mitchell and Virgin EMI’s SVP of A&R Nick Burgess, reports Music Business Worldwide, which first broke the news of Leonard’s planned departure.
Warner Music U.K. declined to comment when contacted by Billboard.
News of the management reshuffle comes just a few days after Lousada officially took up his post as head of recorded music at WMG and oversaw his first round of exec changes. Chief among them was the appointment of Aaron Bay-Schuck (current president of A&R at Interscope Geffen A&M) as co-chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Records and RCA Records president/COO Tom Corson as co-chairman and COO of the label.
This week also saw Warner Bros. chairman/CEO Cameron Strang announce that he would be resigning from the board of WMG and stepping down from WBR at the end of the year.
