LONDON (CelebrityAccess)—PPL PRS, the joint venture between UK sound recording copyright collective PPL and public performance collective PRS for Music, has announced Greg Aiello as its new Managing Director (MD). Aiello will replace Andrea Gray, who has been MD since the joint venture’s inception in 2018.
Gray departs after achieving record returns for UK public performance in 2023.
Currently serving as PPL PRS’ Commercial Director, Aiello has been with the company since 2019. In addition to leading the licensing arm of the business, he has also been Gray’s deputy. Before joining PPL PRS, Aiello held positions at Sitel, overseeing operations support for UK and Ireland clients and roles at EE and Teleperformance.
“Thank you to Andrea for being a great mentor to me since joining PPL PRS,” Aiello said. “We’re just six years young with significant opportunities for further growth, which is an exciting time to take on the MD role. I’m looking forward to working with my team and the leadership at PPL and PRS for Music to continue growing our public performance revenues on behalf of their respective members and constantly improving the customer experience for our licensees.”
Gray expressed her satisfaction with her time at PPL PRS and confidence in Aiello’s leadership. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time at PPL PRS and building such a fantastic team in Leicester. I’m grateful for the support of my own management team and our partners at PPL and PRS for Music in growing the business. I’m delighted to be passing the baton over to Greg, who provides consistency and stability for the wider team. I look forward to working with him in the coming months to ensure a smooth transition for our colleagues and customers.”
PPL PRS was created in 2018 to simplify music licensing for businesses. It allows them to license both live and recorded music from a single entity. The organization now licenses over 400,000 venues across the UK, including shops, bars, restaurants, offices, gyms, and hairdressers. PPL PRS distributed approximately $1.2 billion to music creators and rightsholders in its first five years.
PPL CEO Peter Leathem and PRS for Music CEO Andrea Czapary Martin praised Gray’s leadership: “Despite the wider economic challenges faced during her tenure, she has continued to deliver for customers and our respective members. We welcome Greg to his new role: a leader with a proven track record within the sector and a strong successor, given his commercial acumen, industry expertise and focus on customer experience.”
