Catriona Laing appointed chair of UK Music
UK Music has announced Catriona Laing CB as its new Chair, making her the first woman to lead the organisation since it was formed in 2008.
Laing, a former senior British diplomat, will take up the post at the beginning of June. She succeeds Lord Watson of Wyre Forest, who is stepping down after completing the two-term limit set under UK Music’s rules.
Her appointment follows a recruitment process led by Eton Bridge Partners, which attracted more than 200 applications from across music, the creative industries and wider public life.
Laing has had a 35-year career in diplomacy and government, including roles as British High Commissioner to Nigeria and Ambassador to Zimbabwe. She has also served as Deputy Head of Tony Blair’s Strategy Unit, International Director at the Ministry of Justice, Head of the Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan and leader of the UN Mission in Somalia.
Most recently, she has led the Soft Power initiative at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, working with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on ways to support the global reach of UK music.
In her new role, Laing will work with UK Music Chief Executive Tom Kiehl and the organisation’s member bodies to represent a sector that UK Music says contributes £8 billion a year to the UK economy, generates £4.8 billion in exports and supports 220,000 jobs.
Kiehl said Laing’s appointment came ‘at such a critical time for the music industry’, adding that her experience and ‘deep passion for music’ would help unite the sector behind key policy objectives.
He said, ‘As one of the Government’s key pillars for growth, our sector has an important role to play in helping create the rewarding jobs of the future while tackling the challenges we face as a sector, such as the impact of Artificial Intelligence and the barriers to EU touring.’
Laing said it was ‘a huge honour’ to become Chair of UK Music and paid tribute to Lord Watson’s work over the past six years, particularly in supporting the industry after the Covid pandemic.
‘I look forward to working with UK Music’s members to deliver on our key aims in an increasingly competitive global market,’ she said.