Warner Music U.K. Reshapes Senior Leadership to Boost Transatlantic Collaboration

LONDON — Following Tony Harlow’s exit as Warner Music U.K. chief executive, the label has announced a shakeup of its senior leadership team on Wednesday (Sep. 3).

The move will see several U.K. executives from Warner Records and Atlantic Records join the global leadership team of their U.S. counterparts and collaborate more closely across A&R and marketing strategies.

Ed Howard and Briony Turner, co-presidents of Atlantic U.K. will join the global leadership team of Atlantic Music Group (AMG); they will report directly to AMG CEO Elliot Grainge.

Joe Kentish, president of Warner Records and Parlophone Label Group in the U.K. and report to Warner Records Group chairman & CEO Aaron Bay-Schuck and chairman & COO Tom Corson. 

Warner Music U.K.’s other teams will be overseen by Simon Robson, president, EMEA, Recorded Music, WMG’s most senior recorded music leader in the U.K., in partnership with Isabel Garvey, chief operations officer of Warner Music U.K. 

The move brings U.K. leaders closer to the global leadership team in the hope of boosting U.K. talent in the U.S. and on the global stage. Warner has seen success in recent years with Charli xcx (Atlantic Records) with her 2024 campaign for Brat, and Dua Lipa, who headlined Glastonbury last summer and has embarked on a North American headline tour.

The news comes after Tuesday’s (Sep. 2) announcement that Harlow would step down from his role after six years. In an internal announcement to staff, he described the move as “bittersweet” and will leave the role in October.

Robert Kyncl, chief executive of WMG, says: “The U.K. is home to some of our biggest artists and most exciting emerging talents, who are helping shape culture around the world. It’s also a hugely influential ignition point for global stars who are growing their fanbases. This strategic move will put more firepower behind British artists, while strengthening the UK’s place in our ecosystem, as one of our highest priority markets. Above all, both our UK and US teams will be able to better mirror the way music moves in the world, further strengthening WMG’s collective impact and competitive edge.”