PPL has appointed Melanie Johnson as director of transformation, a newly created role within the CEO’s executive leadership team.
Johnson will oversee a cross-company innovation programme, designed to help PPL deliver on its global ambitions for neighbouring rights royalty collections.
Her career includes senior roles at Audoo, Utopia Music, Facebook and Sony/EMI Music Publishing. She joins as PPL reported collections exceeding £300 million in 2024, with growth across all three of its income streams.
Johnson is also vice chair of the board of trustees for Music Minds Matter, a mental health charity dedicated to supporting everyone who works in music in the UK. She has also served as a board trustee of the Ivors Academy Trust, which provides professional development and educational programmes for songwriters.
PPL CEO Peter Leathem OBE said: “I have long been impressed by Melanie’s ability to deliver meaningful results in a collaborative and empathetic way. Her commercial thinking, paired with deep industry knowledge, will be a great asset to the PPL team as we continue to grow our UK licensing, international royalty collections and membership base.”
Melanie Johnson said: “I’m delighted to join PPL at this exciting time in its evolution. Neighbouring rights has become an important income source for performers and rights-holders, and PPL has shown itself as a global leader in the market. I’m looking forward to bringing my experience from across the music world to PPL as it transforms its internal systems and processes to further maximise returns for members.”
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