In the same way that pets and their owners are said to eventually come to resemble each other, so record labels often seem to be hewn in the same image as the person running the show.

This seems particularly true of Sony Music’s Commercial Group, headed up by Sony Music UK & Ireland COO, and this year’s Music Week Women In Music Businesswoman Of The Year, Nicola Tuer.

Because Tuer is the ultimate backroom-grafter-turned-front-of-house-star. She began her career in music ...