Martin Talbot is stepping down as CEO of the Official Charts Company, the U.K.’s charts compiler.
A former journalist and editor, Talbot took the reins at the OCC in 2007, a time when appetite for physical soundcarriers was in sharp decline and the likes of Spotify and other streaming brands had yet to announce their arrival.
In the years since, Talbot successfully navigated the organization through that unprecedented period of transition, as consumer tastes shifted from physical, to downloads, and now streaming, all of which is reflected in the charts. Also, Talbot secured agreements to produce the official charts in Ireland and France, in addition to the United Kingdom, and has overseen the negotiation of five successive BBC contracts, which sees the main charts unveiled each Friday on BBC Radio 1.
Talbot departs as the OCC prepares for the launch later this year of a new, state-of-the-art data system, following the largest infrastructure investment in the company’s history, reads a statement.
Prior to joining the OCC, Talbot served as editor of Music Week, the U.K. music trade title where he learned the ropes as a reporter back in 1990.
“It has been a privilege to head the Official Charts for the best part of two decades, to establish it as a leading entertainment brand and player in the international market. But, with the company ready to take its next step forward with a brand-new state of the art data platform later this year, I feel it is time to step away,” Talbot explains in a statement.
“When I joined Official Charts, legitimate downloading was only a couple of years old, the download market was five years away from its peak, streaming was yet to emerge and vinyl sales were at an all-time low. To have steered the ship which has tracked and navigated that evolution from the inside has been hugely rewarding.”
Talbot is expected to exit towards the end of April. In his absence, he’s confident OCC commercial director Becca Monahan, operations director Chris Austin and digital & brand director Lauren Kreisler can help “take the business to new heights.”
“On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Martin for his outstanding leadership and commitment over the past 18 years,” comments Drew Hill, chair of the board. “Under his stewardship, the company has grown significantly, navigated major industry shifts and made the investments that will underpin its future success. We are extremely grateful for his contribution and wish him every success in his next chapter.”
The OCC, a 50/50 joint venture between labels’ association BPI and the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA, formerly BARD), publishes a suite of more than 50 weekly charts, including the flagship Official U.K. Singles and Albums Charts. With Talbot at the helm, the Official Charts announced almost 1,000 No. 1 singles and albums.
The Official Chart is said to capture over 99% of all U.K. singles consumption, 98% of all albums and over 90% of all videos and DVDs, and counts sales and streams from 8,000 sources each day.
