AIM Board Elections 2024

AIM will be hosting its Annual General Meeting (AGM) - for members to hear from AIM about the organisation’s activities, campaigns and priorities. AIM’s new board members will be announced, following the election where members use their democratic power through their votes in choosing those who will lead the organisation.

Each year we have a theme for discussion at the AGM, running through the addresses and a panel discussion. This year’s is 'Independent Influence’ - looking at the reach and impact of independent music in culture and society, so we are delighted to host the AGM at a key London cultural centre, the ICA.

Member Voting Guide  

Online voting is now open for AIM Rightsholder and Distributor Members to put forward their vote to elect new Board members, who will act as their representatives in leading AIM’s agenda, to actively engage democractically in the running of the organisation. Voting will be live until Sunday 17th November 23:59.

This guide to voting will cover: 

  • Who can vote 

  • Who is rotating off the current Board 

  • Role of the Board and what we look for in new Board members 

  • Who is running in this year’s election 

  • How to make your online vote 

  • When will the results be announced 

Who can vote

All fully contributing Rightsholder and Distributor members (not Friends of AIM) are eligible to vote, with each eligible member business (or company group) having the same voting rights as each other (one ballot per business). One registered person at that business (or company group) can vote on behalf of their business.  

Online voting is now open and will be live until 23:59 GMT Sunday 17th November. The representative at each eligible member business should have received an email from the AIM team with voting instructions unique to them and their business.   

If you have not received an email and should have, please first check your spam/junk folder and, if you still can’t find the email, please contact us. 

Read how to make your online vote further down this guide.  

Who is rotating off the current Board 

AIM’s Board has 18 members - the CEO plus representatives of AIM Rightsholder Members. In accordance with the organisation’s rules, at least one fifth of its board is required to stand down from serving each year and is unable to re-join for at least 12 months.  
 
The departing Board members this year are:   

We’d like to say a huge thank you to Alice, Sarah, Jason and Clare for their dedication, wisdom and commitment to AIM and our members.

Role of the Board

The AIM Board is democratically elected by members and regularly rotated to ensure there is always a fresh and knowledgeable group of music professionals with differing experience driving AIM forward.

The board of directors are representatives of AIM in the public eye and are collectively responsible for the long-term success of the organisation .

The board meets regularly throughout the year to share knowledge on issues affecting the independent music sector and drive AIM’s many activities and initiatives. The board should carry out ongoing evaluation of its own performance and that of its committees.

We seek to represent the breadth of our community in terms of ethnicity, identity, generation, experience and background, as well as in terms of business size, genre and geography.

What we need in new Board nominees 

ELIGIBILITY: Entrepreneurs, leaders, founders, executives, senior positions of full Rightsholder Members of AIM.

EXPERIENCE: Different types of people and businesses bringing to AIM their strategic, innovative and/or creative thought leadership in music business or entrepreneurship.

KNOWLEDGE: Good awareness of big picture issues for the industry, a desire to be involved in setting AIM’s agenda and direction for the benefit of the independent music community

SKILLS: Business innovation, EDI, music-tech, financial management, HR, the physical supply chain, copyright/legal, international/export, lobbying/activism, events, and other areas relevant to AIM’s work.

Who is running in this year’s election

The candidates below are seeking election onto AIM’s board in 2024 to fill four available spaces. Please read about each of the candidates’ skills, experience, and vision here before voting. 

  • Antonia Lines - Come Play With Me

  • Helen Sims - Communion

  • Jonathan Chapman - Sea Girls

  • Junior Foster - Because Music

  • Leah Ellis - Warp Records

  • Mark Lippmann - Scruff of the Neck

  • Matt Bristow - Cherry Red Records

  • Peter McGaughrin - Chess Club Records

  • Rachel Buswell - Domino Recording Co.

  • Ross Hampl - Partisan Records

  • Rubin Patel - TenWest

  • Toby Egekwu - Finesse Foreva

  • Yasin El Ashrafi - HQ Recording LTD

How to make your online vote

Step 1: Read about each of the candidates here.

Step 2: Vote using the easy online voting system Election Runner. Voting representatives for eligible businesses should have been emailed from AIM team with their unique link. Each member business can place up to four votes.

If you have not received an email and think you should have, please first check your spam/junk folder and, if you still can’t find the email, please get in touch with Sophie (sophie@aim.org.uk).

REPRESENTATION ON AIM’s BOARD

AIM’s board should reflect our members, the wider independent music ecosystem and society. We ask members to consider where there is underrepresentation and to help us ensure a broad spread of voices and experience at the top of our organisation. We seek to represent a spread of ethnicity, identity, generation, and background, as well as business sizes, genres and regions & nations of the UK. We ask you to consider this when making your votes.

You can find information on AIM’s current board make-up in

WOMEN IN CTRL’s ‘Seat at the Table’ Report here.

When the results will be announced

The results of these elections will be announced at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) which returns this year with ‘Independent Influence’ as its theme. This year the event will be held at the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), London on Thursday 21st November 2024, 10:30 - 14:00. Anyone unable to join in person in London can join online.  

AIM's AGM is the opportunity in the year for AIM’s members, entrepreneurs, and business leaders in music, to actively engage in the democratic running of their organisation. We'd love to see as many members as possible in person in London and online!  

  • Date: Thursday 21st November

  • Time: 10:30 - 14:30 GMT in person and online  

  • Venue: Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), London & via live stream  

  • More info and register to attend here  

AIM Rightsholder and Distributor members can now view the minutes from AIM’s 2023 Annual General Meeting here which have been checked and provisionally approved by AIM's board.

Thank you for participating in this process and we look forward to seeing you in London or online when the results will be announced.   

Best wishes,  

The AIM Team