The Music Managers Forum (MMF) has announced promotions for two team members.
General manager Fiona McGugan has been appointed to a new position as strategy & operations director. Joseph Lever has been named as the organisation’s first ever industry relations & events manager. The changes are effective immediately.
McGugan, who joined the MMF in 2012, has been key to founding and developing the Accelerator Programme for Music Managers. The funding and training initiative was launched in partnership with YouTube Music, Arts Council England and the Scottish Music Industries Association in January 2019.
The professional development programme designed for artist, songwriter and producer managers is now benefitting 24 individuals from across England and Scotland. As well as securing access to financing, the network has had masterclasses from Tom Windish (Paradigm), Professor Jonathan Shalit (InterTalent Rights Group), and Lyor Cohen, global head of music at YouTube.
Lever was the first beneficiary of the Jazz Summers Future Genius internship programme, launched by the MMF and Big Life Management in February 2017. Joining the MMF full-time in January 2018, he has led development of the Education Associate Programme.
We are a really small hands-on team, but we punch above our weight
Annabella Coldrick
The MMF’s five-strong team is completed by membership secretary Nicky Carder and Paul Bonham, who is taking a 12-month secondment from the Arts Council to oversee and manage the Accelerator Programme. The MMF’s office relocated to the Ministry of Sound building in Elephant & Castle at the start of 2019.
Annabella Coldrick, CEO, MMF, said: “The past 12 months has seen some truly exciting changes at the MMF. We are a really small hands-on team, but we punch above our weight and I am delighted to recognise the hard work of Fiona and Joseph in delivering truly ground-breaking initiatives like Accelerator and our Education Associate Programme. Along with Nicky Carder and Paul Bonham, both have taken ownership of these in-house projects and consistently over-delivered. As a result, we have seen the MMF attract a record number of manager and Associate members.”
The MMF currently represents 660 UK-based managers - a 25% increase year-on-year - and has attracted more than 40 associate members, including the major labels and streaming platforms.
More than 30% of MMF members are female, 35% are aged under 30 and 20% are from BAME backgrounds.
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