Official Charts Company CEO Martin Talbot to Exit

Martin Talbot is stepping down as CEO of the Official Charts Company, the U.K.’s charts compiler. A former journalist and editor, Talbot took the reins at the OCC in 2007, a time when appetite for physical soundcarriers was in sharp decline and the likes of Spotify and other streaming brands had yet to announce their arrival. In the years since, Talbot successfully navigated the organization through that unprecedented period of transition, as consumer tastes shifted from physical, to downloads, and now streaming, all of which is reflected in the charts.

Also, Talbot secured agreements to produce the official charts in Ireland and France, in addition to the United Kingdom, and has overseen the negotiation of five successive BBC contracts, which sees the main charts unveiled each Friday on BBC Radio 1. Related New Levels Strike Global Partnership With Virgin Music Group, Signs Hooligan Hefs & More Lars Brandle Talbot departs as the OCC prepares for the launch later this year of a new, state-of-the-art data system, following the largest infrastructure investment in the company’s history, reads a statement.

Prior to...