Rebecca Allen has been promoted to president of Decca Records Group UK.
Allen has spent 17 years at Universal Music, in which time she has worked as Decca’s director of media, general manager and managing director. She will report jointly to David Joseph (chairman and CEO of Universal Music UK) and Dickon Stainer (president and CEO of Global Classics).
Said Allen: “Decca is one of the most iconic labels in British music culture, and to be given the opportunity to lead the company forward with a young and ambitious team is a huge privilege. We are known for being distinct and for signing the unexpected and I am enormously proud of the entire team at Decca and all our artists.”
Joseph described her as “an exceptional leader”, while Stainer added that with Allen at the helm “anything is possible for Decca”.
During her time as managing director at Decca – a role she began in 2014 – the label has had a number of best-selling records, including Ball & Boe’s Together, Imelda May’s Life Love Flesh Blood and compilation album Vera Lynn 100.
It is the second major change at Decca in recent years, with Alexander Buhr appointed as managing director of Decca Classics in spring 2016.