Rebecca Allen steps away from UMG UK leadership role after 27 years

Rebecca Allen is stepping away as Chief Artist and Strategy Officer at Universal Music Group UK after 27 years with the company.

She confirmed the decision in an email to staff sent on Tuesday, 13 October, Music Business Worldwide reported. Allen said she will stay connected to UMG in an advisory capacity after she leaves the day-to-day role.

No successor was named. The email also gave no departure date.

Allen was promoted to the post in December 2025. The position sits within the leadership team of UMG UK, the British arm of the world’s largest major record company group, alongside Universal’s labels including EMI and Decca.

While holding the title, she continued to lead UMG UK’s Audience, Media & Strategy (AMS) and Artist Relations teams. AMS covers audience planning and media work across the company’s labels, while Artist Relations handles day-to-day contact with performers on the roster.

Her exit closes a long climb through the organisation. Allen started her career at the BBC before joining Universal Music in 1999 as a press assistant, an entry-level role supporting publicity for releases.

She later joined Decca as Director of Media, then became General Manager in 2012 and Managing Director in 2014. In 2017 she was named President of Decca Records Group UK, becoming the first woman to lead Decca in its history, according to UMG.

In June 2020 she moved to become President of a relaunched EMI Records. She led EMI before taking on the UK-wide audience and media strategy brief and then the Chief Artist and Strategy Officer post, which UMG described at the time as a brand new leadership role.

What makes this stand out is continuity. Allen has worked across three different label generations at the same company, from press office to running two of its best-known British labels to a group-wide strategy job.