David Joseph
David Joseph recalls that given the amount of time his father, an artist manager who handled acts like Billy Ocean, spent away from home, he decided “the music industry was not the life I was going to choose for myself”. But try as he might, including successful stints in advertising and games company Sega, Joseph was destined to follow in his father’s footsteps. He started out as RCA’s chief of press relations. David joined Universal Music in August 1998 as general manager of Polydor UK before moving up in February 2002 to become managing director and later co-President of Polydor alongside Colin Barlow. In April 2006, Joseph was promoted to President, Universal Music Operations, overseeing Universal Classics & Jazz, UMTV and the launch of TV production division Globe alongside his Polydor responsibilities. In March 2008 he was appointed to the role of Chairman and CEO, Universal Music UK, overseeing all divisions of the UK’s leading record company. David became a member of the BPI Council in 2005 following two years on the Brits Committee.