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CLA has been a champion for the UK’s creative eco-system for 40 years, generating over £1.5 billion in collective licensing revenues. We are successful because we foster strong partnerships, bringing publishers, authors and visual artists together to protect and remunerate creative endeavour. Our culture of agility and innovation ensures that we continuously modernise our business and take advantage of new technologies to develop our portfolio of licences.
We are a partnership organisation with four members: the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) and Publishers’ Licensing Services (PLS), which represent the rights of authors and publishers respectively, and The Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS) and PICSEL, who look after the rights of visual artists.
We work across public and private sectors in the UK and internationally to serve the needs of an extensive customer base with a range of products. Our first Generative AI workplace licence launches in May and new licences for other applications of AI are in the pipeline. We aim to develop new sources of income and opportunities in a rapidly changing copyright ecosystem.
As a strongly digital and customer-focussed business, we are seeking an exceptional CEO who will ensure that CLA leads at the forefront of technological change in the collective licensing sector, working in partnership with our members, customers and stakeholders – both in the UK and overseas.
As CEO, you will provide strong and inspirational leadership to our 108 staff team based in London and Edinburgh to meet the fast-changing needs of business and industry. Reporting to the Board, you will manage CLA’s overall operations to drive the effective delivery of our strategic objectives and operational priorities. You will be passionate about the creative industries and have a clear understanding of the role of licensing and copyright.
We are looking for an accomplished senior leader with a focus on maximising opportunities for commercial revenue. You will have a firm grasp on the impact and opportunities presented by AI and other emerging technologies. In that context, you will have demonstrable ability to lead strategic and transformational change, including the application of innovative digital solutions to safeguard copyright, maximise revenues, build customer relationships and improve customer experience. Strong financial acumen and experience of managing risk and budgets are essential.
You will be an exceptional communicator and negotiator, with experience of influencing policy and building trusted relationships with senior stakeholders and partners, industry bodies and government departments. A capable strategic thinker, you will share our values, empowering and inspiring a diverse and ambitious organisation.
This is a unique opportunity and if you think you sound like our new Chief Executive, we encourage you to visit our dedicated microsite for more information by clicking Apply. Please make contact with our advising consultants at GatenbySanderson for a confidential discussion at zoe.bennett@gatenbysanderson.com or michelle.atkinson@gatenbysanderson.com
Closing date: 5pm, Thursday 12th June 2025
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