LONDON — Mike Smith is standing down as managing director of Warner Chappell U.K. with immediate effect. The widely-respected exec said "family reasons" were behind his surprise exit from the publisher. "My time at Warner Chappell has been hugely rewarding and I want to thank all of my colleagues around the world, and the amazing songwriting talent I've had the privilege to work with for their love and support," said Smith in a statement.
He said the past few years have been a very special time for Warner Chappell's U.K. arm, which celebrated four of its artists -- Celeste, Dave, Foals and Stormzy -- winning major prizes at this year's BRIT Awards, held in London in February.
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