Carianne Marshall to leave Warner Chappell co-chair role after seven years
Carianne Marshall will step down as Co-Chair and Chief Operating Officer of Warner Chappell Music at the end of September, Warner Music Group has announced. Guy Moot, who has led the publisher alongside her, will become sole chair on 1 October. The company confirmed the change on 21 September, according to Music Business Worldwide.
Warner Music Group said the departure comes as it streamlines its leadership structure. Marshall will not cut ties immediately. She will stay with the group until the end of December.
Warner Chappell Music is the global publishing arm of Warner Music Group. Publishing looks after songs rather than recordings. It works with songwriters, protects their copyrights and collects royalties when their music is performed, streamed or used in film, television and advertising.
Marshall joined Warner Chappell in June 2018. She has co-led the organisation alongside Moot since April 2019. The joint role put two senior publishing executives in charge together for more than seven years.
As chief operating officer, the executive responsible for day-to-day operations, she introduced a Creative Services department. The unit was created to widen commercial and creative opportunities for songwriters. Warner Music Group has described her period at the publisher as a transformative seven-year tenure in its announcement, titled "WARNER CHAPPELL'S CARIANNE MARSHALL LEAVES COO/CO-CHAIR ROLE AFTER TRANSFORMATIVE SEVEN-YEAR TENURE", according to Warner Music Group.
Before Warner Chappell, Marshall spent more than a decade at SONGS, an independent music publisher. She joined the company in 2006. She rose to Partner, Head of Creative Services, and Head of Creative Licensing, a role covering the approval of music for use in visual media.
What makes this stand out is continuity at the top. Moot takes full charge from October. Marshall remains available through the handover period.
For songwriters signed to the publisher, the structure becomes simpler. One chair leads. Day-to-day reporting lines will follow that change.
