Stuart Mays, Global’s longstanding director of commercial strategy, is leaving after 16 years to launch a new platform for music artists.
Mays will be founder and CEO of the new venture, whose name has not yet been revealed and is slated to launch in the second half of 2025. He is building a launch team that includes both music industry specialists and tech entrepreneurs.
The new platform, May said, will enable music artists and creators to connect directly with their fans and monetise their intellectual property, such as through exclusive content, merchandise offers and early access to live tickets at “fair value prices”.
Mays said: “I’m simply bringing all the experience and knowledge of working within media and marketing and with super-smart clients for over 25 years, then applying that knowledge and rigour to the world of music. This is about making a positive difference to an industry I love, that so many people love.”
CEO Miron: ‘Sad to see’ Mays exit
Mays has worked in the media industry for over 25 years and has also spent time in senior roles at both Publicis Media and Daily Mail publisher DMGT.
He has been a non-executive of a US news and entertainment company and has just become chair of Texture.AI, a performance optimisation AI company.
His exit coincides with Global CEO Stephen Miron stepping down at the end of this year. Miron will become chairman and is being replaced by STV CEO Simon Pitts.
Miron said of Mays’s departure: “Stuart has been an integral part of Global’s transformational commercial growth, having worked with us right from the beginning, and given his talent, I have huge confidence that he will make a great success of this new venture. He’s got one of the very best commercial and strategic minds and I’m genuinely excited for what he will achieve in the future.
“Whilst sad to see Stuart leave Global, I completely respect and understand Stuart’s desire to become an entrepreneur and we all wish him the very best in the next stage of his career.”
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Mike Gordon, chief commercial officer at Global, added: “Stuart has been a great leader, colleague and friend and we will all miss him enormously. There isn’t a part of Global that Stuart hasn’t contributed to since we both joined 16 years ago, most recently winning the TfL Bid, one of the world’s largest and most prestigious outdoor advertising contracts.
“I’m truly sorry that he is leaving but given his experience across the industry and incredible relationships, I’m confident that he will make a success of his new business. Original thinking and disruption were always things Stuart excelled at, so I look forward to hearing more about the launch and the impact it will have.”
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