Phil Savill has been promoted to the new role of Managing Director of the Commercial Music Group at Sony Music UK.
Savill joined the company in 1990 as a Commercial Product Manager. From 2013, he was Vice President, Marketing, Commercial Music Group.
In recent years, he has managed a host of successful campaigns for Sony Music legends, including Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand and Dolly Parton.
In April 2015 he helped Paul Simon return to No.1 in the UK album charts for the first time in 25 years. Faithless, Keep Calm and Unwind, and BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge also went to No.1 in 2015 under Savill’s leadership.
In 2015, Savill was responsible for strategising and marketing the UK campaign for Elvis Presley’s million-selling album, Elvis with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra ‘If I Can Dream’.
The album was the second biggest-selling new release of 2015 and placed Elvis Presley as the only solo recording artist to have a UK No.1 album in five different decades, beginning in 1956 with ‘Rock N’ Roll’.
“Phil is an outstanding executive with an encyclopedic music knowledge.”
Nicola Tuer, Sony Music UK
In 2015, Sony Music UK’s Commercial Music Group was named – for the first time ever – the biggest record company in the UK.
Savill has been promoted to his new role by Jason Iley, Sony Music UK Chairman and CEO, and COO Nicola Tuer – to whom Savill directly reports.
Tuer said: “Phil is an outstanding executive – with an encyclopedic music knowledge. That, combined with his creativity and raw instinct, explain how he has led CMG to be recognised as the UK’s most successful record company – for the first time in it’s history.
“Having worked with Phil for more than twenty years, I’m delighted for him and his richly deserved promotion. It will be an absolute pleasure to continue working with him so closely”.
Savill said: “I’m tremendously excited to start this new chapter of my career at Sony Music and I look forward to continuing the huge success the Commercial Group has enjoyed in recent years.
“I am fortunate in that, not only do I have a fantastic team around me, who deliver amazing results time after time, but I also have the support and guidance from the industry’s best two senior executives, Jason and Nicola”.
Elsewhere at the major, Ken Marshall has also been promoted, to new position of Senior Marketing Director, Sony Music UK.
Marshall has worked at Sony for more than a decade, looking after many of the company’s biggest artists including, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Foo Fighters, Kings of Leon and Beyoncé.
“Ken’s invaluable experience, plus his marketing dexterity, will allow him to continue being one of the most highly-regarded execs in the industry.”
Nicola Tuer, Sony Music UK
His new promotion will see his previous role extended to include responsibility for overseeing the Frontline Commercial team, which is accountable for high-volume new releases from the company’s biggest artists, as well as ‘Best Ofs’ and TV advertised compilations.
Marshall said: “The Commercial Group have a great track-record, and are market leaders – always putting great music and respect for artists at the heart of what they do.
“They have provided me with an incredible opportunity and it is a real honour to join such a talented team”.
Nicola Tuer said: “The relationships that Ken has with his artists is something to be admired. His invaluable experience, plus his marketing dexterity will allow him to continue being one of the most highly regarded execs in the industry.
“I am thrilled about these two promotions. Both Phil and Ken are amoung the finest executives in the business, and I am extremely proud that they will be leading CMG into the future – with some extremely exciting plans ahead”.
[PICTURED L-R: Phil Savill, Nicola Tuer and Ken Marshall]Music Business Worldwide
