Rebecca Allen is stepping away from her role as Chief Artist and Strategy Officer at Universal Music Group UK.
The exec has spent 27 years at Universal Music.
Allen announced the move in an email sent on Tuesday (October 13), which has been obtained by MBW.
She wrote that she will stay connected to UMG as an adviser.
The email was addressed to her “friends, colleagues and Universal family,” under the subject line Too Good at Goodbyes.
That is also the title of a 2017 single by Sam Smith, released via Capitol Records.
Allen‘s email did not name a successor or give a date for her departure.
Allen was promoted to the newly formed role of Chief Artist and Strategy Officer at UMG UK in December 2025.
In that role, she was tasked with supporting UMG UK‘s labels in “helping artists navigate every step of their journey within the company, from new signings to established acts, to build long-term success,” according to the company.
She also continued to lead UMG UK’s Audience, Media & Strategy (AMS) and Artist Relations teams.
UMG UK described AMS as its largest team at the time of Allen’s promotion.
The company also said that, under Allen‘s leadership, AMS “has reshaped how the company develops and delivers audience-led artist strategy.”
“After 27 years at Universal Music, this chapter is coming to an end,” Allen wrote in the email.
“I’ll be stepping away from my current role and, while I’ll remain connected to UMG in an advisory capacity, the time feels right for me to turn the page and make space for a new chapter.
“There are, of course, a lot of emotions that come with saying goodbye after so long. Mostly, I feel incredibly fortunate.”
“I’ll be stepping away from my current role and, while I’ll remain connected to UMG in an advisory capacity, the time feels right for me to turn the page and make space for a new chapter.”
Rebecca Allen
Added Allen: “Music and artists have always been at the center of my world, and the driving force behind every decision I’ve made.
“To have spent 27 years working alongside such extraordinary artists, and the brilliant people who surround them, has been an enormous privilege.”
Allen started her career at the BBC, before joining Universal Music in 1999 as a press assistant.
She later became Director of Media at Decca, and was promoted to General Manager of the label in 2012 and Managing Director in 2014.
Allen was then named President of Decca Records Group UK in 2017.
According to UMG, she was the first woman to lead the label in its history.
In June 2020, Allen was named President of a relaunched EMI Records – a rebrand of Universal Music UK‘s Virgin EMI label.
Jo Charrington joined Allen as Co-President of EMI in 2022.
In July 2024, Universal Music UK unveiled a restructure that merged EMI and Island Records UK into the Island EMI Label Group.
As part of those changes, Allen was named head of a new Audience & Media Division (now Audience, Media & Strategy), serving all of the company’s labels.
She added the Artist Relations team to her remit in 2025, according to UMG UK.
UMG UK‘s announcement of Allen’s promotion in December 2025 cited her work with artists including Elton John, Andrea Bocelli, Loyle Carner, and Olivia Dean.
Allen also chaired the 2018 Classic BRIT Awards and co-chaired the 2021 BRIT Awards.
You can read Rebecca Allen’s email in full below:
To my friends, colleagues and Universal family,
After 27 years at Universal Music, this chapter is coming to an end.
I’ll be stepping away from my current role and, while I’ll remain connected to UMG in an advisory capacity, the time feels right for me to turn the page and make space for a new chapter.
There are, of course, a lot of emotions that come with saying goodbye after so long. Mostly, I feel incredibly fortunate.
Music and artists have always been at the centre of my world, and the driving force behind every decision I’ve made.
To have spent 27 years working alongside such extraordinary artists, and the brilliant people who surround them, has been an enormous privilege.
I’ve always believed that how you do something matters just as much as what you do.
Be kind.
Be respectful.
Be brave.
Continue to push creative boundaries.
Make space for brilliant people to be brilliant.
Fight for the ideas you believe in.
And always put the music and the artist at the heart of everything.
I leave enormously proud of what we’ve created together, grateful for the friendships, the adventures, the lessons and the laughter, and for 27 years that have shaped me in more ways than I probably even realise yet.
It’s been quite a ride.
I can’t thank you all enough for being on this journey with me.
Love to you all.
Becky xxx
“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard” A.A. Milne
Music Business Worldwide
Rebecca Allen is concluding her tenure as Chief Artist and Strategy Officer at Universal Music Group (UMG) UK after a 27-year career with the company. She announced her departure in an email sent on October 13, 2023, to her “friends, colleagues, and Universal family,” under the subject line « Too Good at Goodbyes, » borrowed from a Sam Smith song. In her message, Allen expressed her intention to stay connected to UMG in an advisory role but emphasized that it was the right time for her to move on and embrace a new chapter in her life.
Promoted to the position of Chief Artist and Strategy Officer in December 2025, Allen was instrumental in assisting UMG UK’s labels with artist development. Her role involved guiding both new signings and established artists to achieve long-term success within the company. In addition, she led UMG UK’s Audience, Media & Strategy (AMS) and Artist Relations teams, reshaping how the company approached audience-led artist strategy.
Throughout her extensive career, Allen held various significant positions at Universal Music. She began her journey in the music industry at the BBC before joining Universal Music in 1999 as a press assistant. Her career progressed rapidly; she became Director of Media at Decca Records, later serving as General Manager and then Managing Director. In 2017, she made history as the first woman to lead Decca Records Group UK as its President.
Further solidifying her influence within the organization, Allen was appointed President of a rebranded EMI Records in June 2020. In 2024, UMG UK underwent a restructuring that merged EMI and Island Records UK, and Allen assumed leadership of the newly formed Audience & Media Division, which included the Artist Relations team in her remit.
Throughout her career, Allen has worked with prominent artists such as Elton John, Andrea Bocelli, Loyle Carner, and Olivia Dean. She has also played a key role in significant music events, chairing the Classic BRIT Awards in 2018 and co-chairing the BRIT Awards in 2021.
In her farewell email, Allen reflected on her time at UMG, expressing gratitude for the experiences and relationships she built over nearly three decades. She shared her belief that the manner in which one conducts themselves is as important as the outcomes they achieve, urging her colleagues to be kind, respectful, brave, and to continually push creative boundaries. She left her colleagues with a sense of pride regarding their collective achievements, gratitude for the friendships formed, and the lessons learned throughout her journey.
Rebecca Allen’s departure marks the end of a significant era at Universal Music Group UK, where her contributions have shaped not only the company but also the artists she has supported. Her commitment to music and artists has been a driving force throughout her career, and while she steps away from her formal role, her influence will continue as she transitions into her advisory position.
