UK record labels association the BPI today announces the appointment of Leon Neville to the new role of BPI Director of Insight.
Leon joins on 1st December 2021 and will take over from Chris Green, who retires at the end of the year as Director of Research after 31 years with the BPI, having joined from HMV in 1990 as Research Manager.
Leon has worked in music industry research and insight for over 15 years, including most notably with Universal Music from 2007 to 2017 where he served as Senior Director Global Insight in his last position there. Since October 2017 Leon has been running his own insights consultancy the All Ears Group working with a mixture of music industry clients and lecturing to music industry students alongside advising on a number of start-ups outside of the UK music industry. See Notes for more details.
Reporting to BPI CEO Geoff Taylor and BPI COO MJ Olaore, Leon will lead an Insight team comprising BPI Insight and Analysis Manager Rob Crutchley, and which will continue to include publication of the BPI’s “All About The Music” annual yearbook among its core responsibilities alongside other reporting.
Commenting on Leon’s appointment, BPI & BRIT Awards Chief Executive Geoff Taylor said:
“One of the key roles of the BPI is to help member labels understand rapidly evolving market dynamics and bring fresh data and insight to their businesses. Leon brings experience and skills from both a major label and consultancy in the post-streaming era, which will support our efforts to promote and grow British music around the world. We welcome Leon to the BPI and look forward to working with him.”
Leon Neville, incoming BPI Director of Insight, said:
“I am thrilled to be joining the BPI. I have always admired the excellent research and reporting that Chris and Rob have produced, the All About the Music annual report is one of the finest and most complete reports available anywhere in the industry. It is an honour to be invited by Geoff and MJ to be part of the BPI, I look forward to helping them alongside the wider team in championing UK music artists and furthering the continued successes for our members acts both here and across the globe.”
Commenting on Chris Green’s retirement from the BPI, Geoff Taylor said:
“Chris is one of our industry’s most regarded experts, respected for his consistently authoritative reporting of our industry’s transformation over three decades. He has always conducted himself with trademark humility, integrity and professionalism that has endeared him to everyone that he has worked with, and he will be sorely missed by colleagues, member labels and industry associates alike. He leaves with our profound thanks for an outstanding 30 years of service and with our warmest wishes for a happy and well-earned retirement.”
Chris Green, retiring as BPI Research Director, said:
“It’s been an honour working for the BPI, so many cherished memories, wonderful colleagues and remarkable people from member companies, giving me a unique vantage point on our industry and the many exciting developments of the past 30 years. There are way too many people to thank, but I will remember with particular fondness and gratitude my long-time line manager and mentor Peter Scaping and my research comrade in arms Rob Crutchley, whose amazing knowledge and steadfast support have always been so incredibly helpful. My sincere thanks and best wishes to Geoff, Ged, MJ, Maggie and the whole BPI team.”
About Leon Neville
Leon Neville is a media entertainment insights specialist with a career spanning over 25 years, having worked across a mixture of both agency and client-side roles, including the music industry for the past 15 years.
Leon spent more than a decade at Universal Music from 2007 to 2017 based in London working within the central UK commercial division including several years heading up the UK insight team.
After leaving Universal Music in October 2017, Leon formed the All Ears Group, an insights consultancy working with a mixture of labels, management and digital marketing teams. Most recently since July 2020 alongside All Ears, Leon has been lecturing to music industry students at Notting Hill Academy of Music in London and TAFE students in Queensland, Australia.
Leon has held UK and globally focused insight roles in both the Music and the Film & Television industry where he has worked at both Walt Disney International Television and UK cable satellite broadcaster Flextech Television before joining Universal Music.
Leon lives on the south coast with his wife and two boys and loves football, supporting his boy’s playing at their local grassroots team alongside Chelsea FC and attending live music events across the globe and across all genres. “Travelling to see great music is brilliant but I do love it every year when my local city, Brighton, takes centre stage and showcases new music from across the UK at the Great Escape Festival”.
