Warner Music UK has promoted Mike Watson to CFO, effective immediately.
In his new role, Watson will report directly into WMUK CEO Tony Harlow.
Watson, who joined the company as an intern nearly two decades ago, will be responsible for financial planning, budgeting and reporting for WMUK’s labels and departments. He also joins the WMUK leadership team to help inform the UK business' overall direction.
Tony Harlow said: “Mike has been one of the unsung superstars of the UK team for a number of years now, continually leading his team through all our reporting challenges, including navigating going public, and I’m pleased to see him getting the opportunity to prove himself in this broader role. Mike has some big ideas about how the role should be evolved to deliver consistent best practice, and I’m looking forward to working closely with him to make these a reality.”
He takes on the CFO role following the departure of Peter Breeden, who left the business last month.
Watson added: “In a company and industry that never stands still, I’m excited to be working alongside Tony and the management team to help WMUK continue to evolve and succeed. I’m proud to lead an experienced and versatile Finance team whose business support is second to none and many of whom I have had the pleasure of working with for a number of years. I want to thank Tony for this fantastic opportunity, and Peter Breeden for his support over the years.”
Watson, who joined the WMUK Royalties Department in 2004, has held several key roles at the company including finance analyst for Rhino UK, central financial manager, financial controller, and most recently, SVP Finance.
In 2013, he played a crucial role in integrating the financial operations of Parlophone Records into WMUK, following the acquisition, and more recently has overseen the development of streaming data insight tools whilst supporting the budgeting and planning functions for the UK.
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