Tony Wadsworth was Chairman and CEO of EMI Music UK & Ireland from 1998 to 2008, the pinnacle of a 26 year career with the UK based company.
During his time at EMI Tony held many roles, including Managing Director of the Parlophone label, a label he re-launched in the 1990s achieving sustained hits with artists such as Blur, Radiohead, Crowded House, Pet Shop Boys, Tina Turner and Queen .
His subsequent move to running all of EMI's UK labels saw a period of global success with artists such as Robbie Williams, Coldplay, Kylie Minogue, the Rolling Stones and the Beatles.
As Chairman and CEO of EMI, he oversaw the acquisition of the Vigin label and the signing of Lily Allen, KT Tunstall, Corinne Bailey Rae and The Kooks, who have acheived worldwide chart profiles and multi million pound sales.
Prior to joining EMI, Tony studied Economics at Newcastle and spent the following 3 years playing in a band with his college friends. He later worked for various record labels before joining EMI.
He is currently Chairman of the BPI and on the board of the BRIT Trust; he also sits on the board of Julie's Bicycle, the not-for-profit company established to find ways to reduce the carbon emissions of the UK music industry.
He is a trustee of the Music Sound Foundation, a charity devoted to improving young peoples' access to music education, and a trustee of the EMI Archive Trust.
Tony holds the post of Visiting Professor in the music and business schools of the University of Newcastle-on-Tyne.
In March 2008, he was awarded the prestigious Music Week Strat award for outstanding contribution to the UK music industry.
Tony lives in London with his wife and 2 children.