UK independent and major labels association the BPI today announces the appointment of Casandra Strauss to the newly created position of Director of Innovation & Special Projects.

Having originally joined the BPI as Member Services Manager in 2017, Strauss has, through her more recent role as Senior Special Projects Manager, shaped much of the BPI’s current work to promote technology and innovation within the industry, in particular launching the acclaimed Music & Tech Springboard Programme in May 2020. She has also actively led on much of the BPI’s diversity and equality work over the past 12 months, developing bespoke training programmes and events such as the BPI Equality Sessions, whilst also helping to manage activity and projects ranging from the BPI’s Classical Committee to National Album Day.

MJ Olaore, BPI COO, said:

“Casandra fizzes with energy and ideas and always shows a keen desire to learn, absorb and to be at our industry’s cutting edge – ideal qualities to help drive innovation and also support the important work to promote diversity and equality across music. We are delighted that we’ve been able to recognise her valued contribution to the BPI and to our industry through this deserved promotion, and we wish her well in this exciting new role.”

Casandra Strauss, BPI Director of Innovation & Special Projects, said:

This is such an inspiring time to be in music, with the amazing outpouring of talent by British artists matched by a well-spring of tech innovations that are enabling music to be made, shared, discovered and enjoyed in ways that would have been unimaginable just a decade ago. I am proud to be part of the BPI – an organisation that truly strives to help its members thrive – and I'm honoured to be entrusted to continue to make a difference in our community, through working on key areas that I feel so passionately about, from new tech to diversity, equality and inclusion and more.”