Former ITV chief exec Charles Allen joins EMI

EMI Music has appointed former ITV chief executive Charles Allen as non-executive chairman. Allen has been advising the music label in recent months, working closely with its new chief executive Elio Leoni-Sceti.

Allen stepped down as ITV’s chief executive in 2006. Since leaving the broadcaster he has held chairman roles with Global Radio, Endemol and Virgin Media among others. Allen joined the just-established Global Radio as its chairman in 2007 and has been responsible for buying Chrysalis and GCap Media, resulting in Global Radio becoming UK’s largest commercial radio group.

Later in 2007, Allen joined the board of Endemol and Virgin Media and also became a senior adviser to the private equity arm of Goldman Sachs.

Guy Hands, head of Terra Firma, the private equity firm that bought EMI in 2007, says “Allen has an in-depth understanding of what is required to drive the business forward”.

EMI has also appointed Stephen Alexander, currently the operational managing director of Terra Firma, to the role of deputy chairman of EMI’s holding company, Maltby Capital, and as senior non-executive director of EMI Music Publishing.