PRS for Music Announces Four Senior Appointments

16 August 2018 - Press release

· Sami Valkonen appointed Director of International
· Claire Jarvis appointed Director of Membership
· Rachael Naylor promoted to Director of Operations and Distributions
· Barney Hooper appointed Director of Communications and Marketing

PRS for Music has announced three key hires and an internal promotion, bolstering its leadership team. Claire Jarvis joins from Sky, taking up the position of Director of Membership and Sami Valkonen joins the society from Google, as Director of International.

Rachael Naylor, who has been with the organisation for eight and a half years, is promoted to the newly-created role of Director of Operations and Distributions, while Barney Hooper joins from AEG in the equally brand-new position of Director of Communications and Marketing.

Robert Ashcroft, Chief Executive, PRS for Music, said: “The high standard of service we aspire to provide to our members, our licensees and our fellow societies depends on our people and we are proud not only to have hired three key individuals with diverse experience with major music users, but also to have recognised rising talent from within. I would like to welcome all four to their new roles at PRS for Music.”

Claire Jarvis was previously Director of Music at Sky and responsible for overseeing the music team, leading the transformation of the organisation’s music publishing business.

Before joining the media and telecoms company, Claire spent 20 years with the BBC, holding various senior roles within music rights. In total, she has more than 30 years’ experience within the music industry, with a wealth of commercial knowledge and skills across licensing, rights, and composer and publisher engagement.

Most recently, Sami Valkonen was the Director of International Music Publishing for YouTube and Google Play. During his time with the company he was responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with music publishers and collecting societies globally.

Starting his career as a singer-songwriter, Sami held various key positions within BMG throughout the 1990s in Los Angeles, Lisbon and New York and following a stint as a copyright lawyer, he then joined Nokia in 2008. During his time at the telecoms company, he was at the forefront of reforming digital music licensing through collaboration with global industry leaders.

Rachael Naylor, promoted to the new role of Director of Operations and Distribution, has nearly 15 years of managerial and operational experience, as well as an intimate knowledge of PRS for Music, gained across roles in the organisation’s public performance sales, distribution and operations teams.

Rachael’s new role is focused on improving and enhancing all operational aspects of the business, optimising efficiency, accuracy and effectiveness, as well as taking ownership of distributions of royalties to members. Prior to joining PRS for Music in 2009, where she has led a number of strategic initiatives to improve services to members, Rachael worked in the consumer goods sector in a variety of management roles.

Barney Hooper was previously Director of Communications with AEG, based at The O2, and joins PRS for Music as Director of Communications and Marketing.

During his time with AEG he was responsible for overseeing all communications activities at the world’s number one music and entertainment venue, as well as running internal, crisis and corporate communications for AEG’s UK businesses. He has held a number of marketing and communications roles in both the TV industry - including global news channel CNN - as well as the live events sector.