PRS Foundation’s Board of Trustees
Our Trustees come from a wide range of musical and professional backgrounds from within the music industry and beyond. Together they give us an impressive wealth of expertise, including knowledge of all music genres, from urban to folk, from classical to jazz.
Susannah Simons, Director of Content for Marquee TV (Interim Chair + F&P Committee Member)
Susannah Simons is a freelance arts strategist, previously Director Arts and Outreach for Canvas, and Head of Policy and Outreach for BBC Radio and Music. She was the Project Director of the BBC’s engagement with the Cultural Olympiad between 2008 and 2013, in which role she was also responsible for the pilot phase of The Space. She began her career as a broadcaster with BBC Radio 4 presenting the PM programme, World at One and Today before joining Channel 4 as presenter of Business Daily. She was one of the original presenters at Classic FM before swapping sides to become the Director of Communications of the GWR group and then returned to the BBC in a management role.
She is also a Trustee of The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and One Dance UK.
Alexander Kassner, Joint Trustee (PRS for Music Publisher Director and Deputy Chair of the Members’ Council; Head of Legal and Business Affairs, Kassner Associated Publishers)
Caroline Norbury MBE, CEO, Creative UK
Caroline Norbury MBE is the founding Chief Executive of Creative England, the organisation that uncovers, supports and invests in creative talent and businesses, and the Chief Executive of the Creative Industries Federation, the body which represents the UK’s creative industries, arts and cultural education.
In September 2019, the Creative Industries Federation and Creative England announced their intention to formally unite, recognising that they will be able to make a greater difference together than would be possible alone. The Federation’s history of bringing together UK-wide networks and championing the sector will combine with Creative England’s significant experience uncovering, investing and growing creative businesses outside of London. The work of both organisations will continue and develop through this UK-wide body.
Prior to establishing Creative England Caroline was the Chief Executive of regional screen agency South West Screen; the public body responsible for the leading the strategic development and promotion of the film, TV and digital content industries in the South West of England. She has extensive experience of the media industry as a producer, director and commissioning executive and was previously an independent producer and Chief Executive of First Take Films.
Caroline is a member of BAFTA, the Royal Society of Arts, the UK Trade & Investment Creative Industries Sector Advisory Group and leads on the work of the Creative Industries Council Access to Finance working group. She was awarded an MBE in 2012 for services to the film industry.
Chris Butler, Director of Global Rights Development, Wise Music Group
Chris Butler has worked in the music publishing industry since leaving Durham University with a music degree in 1984. He held a succession of positions at Chappell Music (later Warner Chappell), before joining Novello in 1989. Four years at the classical independent ended when Novello was acquired by the Music Sales Group in 1993. Over the past 25 years the Music Sales Group has become one of the world’s largest independent music publishers with offices in London, Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Madrid, Berlin, Copenhagen, Sydney and Tokyo.
In tandem with being the leading player in the business of printed music, Music Sales owns and administers an extensive portfolio of copyrights through a network of wholly owned companies throughout the world. In addition to Novello these include J & W Chester, G. Schirmer, Edition Wilhelm Hansen, Union Musicales Ediciones, Editions Alphonse Leduc, Bosworth & Co, Sparta Florida and Campbell Connelly. The Music Sales Group currently has an active roster of over one hundred living composers creating new music in all genres.
Christine Geissmar, COO, PPL (F&P Committee Member)
Christine joined PPL in 2008 as Head of Public Performance Operations. In January 2012 she was appointed to the newly created role of Operations Director, responsible for PPL’s Public Performance Operations, Marketing and Member Services team. In 2018, Christine became Chief Operating Officer for PPL and was appointed to the Board of PPL PRS Ltd.
Christine has many years of experience as a leader and came to PPL following senior roles at Harrods, GE Capital and TWG (formerly Aon Warranty Group).
Crispin Hunt, Joint Trustee (PRS for Music Writer Director)
John Minch, Joint Trustee (PRS for Music Publisher Director; President at Concord Music Publishing, Europe)
Jonathan Aitken, Joint Trustee (PRS ELT – General Counsel)
Mark Poole, Chartered Accountant (F&P Committee Chair)
Mark is a Chartered Accountant with over twenty five years of financial and commercial experience. He currently acts as a corporate adviser and non-executive director on a number of companies including PRS for Music. He previously worked for the Virgin Group for over 20 years (with ten years as Group Finance Director) where he was responsible for financial strategy including corporate finance, tax, treasury, accounting and financial reporting. Mark has gained significant experience in most aspects of finance and taxation in a dynamic, large, complex, diverse and multinational commercial organisation. He served as a non-executive director and committee member of numerous operating and holding companies including amongst others the Virgin Group main board, Virgin Atlantic (airline) and Virgin Active (gymnasiums).
Mark is currently a Board Governor and Treasurer at the International School of Geneva comprising three large campuses with over 4,400 students.
Michelle Escoffery, Songwriter and President of PRS for Music’s Members’ Council (‘Joint Trustee’)
Multi hyphenate, Ivor Novello Award winning professional singer-songwriter of 28 years, Michelle Escoffery has consistently amassed accolades as one of the UK’s most respected songwriters.
Signed with both major and independent labels and recognised for her creative ability, Michelle is intimately acquainted with the pressures of the music business, and the endurance it takes to face the hardships, conflicts and work/life/spirit balance. In response, and as a gifted spiritual guide, she has developed the discipline of getting results through the art of self care and sacred ritual, building towards equilibrium and maintaining presence.
Michelle has always advocated for emerging talent, founding and pioneering live music and spoken word event ‘Kindred Spirit’ between 2000 – 2009 and sharing over 12 years lecturing experience in higher education. Currently module leader for MA commercial songwriting & Production Programme at Tileyard Education and also SCQF qualified in the Professional Development Award for Practice Based Learning for Creative and Cultural Industries.
She currently sits on the Board of Directors for PRS for Music as a Writer Director.
Suzanne Hughes, Joint Trustee (PRS ELT – Chief People and Transformation Officer)
YolanDa Brown, Composer, Artist, Presenter and Chair, the BPI and Youth Music
A champion for the importance of music education, YolanDa is Chair of Youth Music (one of the largest music education charities in the UK), Chair of the BPI and an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust and London Music Fund. She graduated with a first class degree in Operations management from the University of Kent, has 2 Masters Degrees, a PhD, was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Arts by the University of East London and sits on the advisory board for the UK Government and Department for Education’s National Plan for Music Education.
In 2018 along with philanthropist James JP Drake, she launched the “Drake YolanDa Award” offering grants for emerging musicians. November 2020 saw YolanDa roll out her bespoke online music lesson plans for teachers, parents and pupils nationwide as she continues to promote music education in primary schools. Together with Sony Music UK’s Magic Star, kids creative-media agency SUPER and one of the world’s largest provider of online education resources, Twinkl. Launched on The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show, an estimated 30 000 children have now used the resources.
She is a broadcaster working across TV and Radio, including her Royal Television Society Award winning series for CBeebies, “YolanDa’s Band Jam”. On BBC Radio 4, she co presents Loose Ends with Clive Anderson and covers for Trevor Nelson and Vanessa Feltz on BBC Radio 2 and presents “YolanDa Brown on Saturday” on Jazz FM. YolanDa also released “The ABC’s of music” book with Hal Leonard as well as four play along books showcasing black composers with Faber Music in 2021.