NEW LEADERS AT COLUMBIA U.K.

Columbia U.K. has new leadership: Dipesh Parmar is president and Amy Wheatley is managing director. Both move over from Ministry of Sound. The news follows the departure of former Columbia U.K. President Ferdy Unger-Hamilton and MD Manish Arora.

With the appointments of Parmar and Wheatley, Ministry of Sound will now operate under the Columbia Records U.K. umbrella; it was previously with RCA.

Parmar will report to Sony U.K. Chairman and CEO Jason Iley; Wheatley will report to Parmar.

Iley called the duo “two of the most talented, respected and well-liked executives in the business," continuing, "Dipesh is a true A&R man who immerses himself in music and continually drives artists to achieve success. Amy is passionate and ambitious and has played an integral role in the evolution of Ministry of Sound. They both think differently and are committed to cultivating a vibrant and talented team of executives and an incredible roster of artists.”

Parmar, who joined Sony in 2016 with the acquisition of Ministry of Sound and was later named president of the label, called his new appointment one of the proudest moments of his career.

Wheatley joined Ministry in 2017 as GM and was promoted to MD in 2021. Her appointment marks a return to Columbia, where she previously led projects for, among others, Calvin Harris, MK and Tyler, the Creator as marketing manager.

Under Parmar and Wheatley's joint stewardship of Ministry, the label has achieved a string of global multiplatinum hits with artists like Riton, Oliver Heldens, Paul Woolford, Ewan McVicar and Majestic. Successful campaigns for domestic artists span releases by Regard, London Grammar and Sigala; international projects have included Doja Cat, Tate McRae and Lil Durk.