Nick Hartley, the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer at PIAS Group, has announced his retirement after 26 years with the company and four decades in the music industry.
Music Week reports that Hartley will step down from both roles and his position on the PIAS Group board on 31 December 2025.
In 1984, Hartley moved to Australia from the UK to begin his music career, starting at EMI Australia. After serving as the Finance Director at EMI, Hartley took on a role at Polygram Australia in 1990 and returned to the UK in 1995, when he was appointed Polygram UK Group CFO.
Hartley departed Polygram in 1998 and joined PIAS Group in 2000. At the company, he was instrumental in implementing key financial strategies and commercial initiatives, and played an important role in last year’s acquisition of PIAS by Universal Music Group.
His successor will be announced soon.
In a statement, Hartley expressed gratitude for the “incredible journey” he enjoyed at PIAS, describing working with the team as “a real honour.”
He continued, “Together, we have navigated the evolving landscape of the music industry, and I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together. As I prepare for this new chapter in my life, I am confident that PIAS will continue to thrive and innovate.”
Kenny Gates, CEO of PIAS, added that the company has a “heavy heart” as it announces Hartley's retirement.
“It is with a genuinely heavy heart that we announce the retirement of our great friend and colleague Nick Hartley, who has been a cornerstone of PIAS for over a quarter of a century,” Gates said.
“His expertise and dedication to our company have been invaluable to our growth and success. While we will miss his extraordinary financial leadership, we wish him well in his fully deserved retirement.”
Upon Universal’s acquisition of PIAS last October, PIAS Australia/Inertia Music Managing Director Ben Suthers hinted that very little would change when it came to how the local subsidiary would operate.
“It’s business as usual at [PIAS]/Inertia as we continue to champion independent music and help bring new Australian artists to the world,” Suthers told The Music. “We’re all super excited for the next chapter in Inertia’s storied history.”
