The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) has announced the latest intake of members to its Equity & Justice Advisory Group (EJAG), with our Equalities & Industry Development Officer, Vahishtai Ghosh, joining the board for a two-year term.
Seven new members drawn from across the industry have been appointed to fill positions vacated by founding members who stepped down at the end of 2025, in line with EJAG governance.
Chaired by YolanDa Brown OBE DL, with Alex Hannaby as Deputy Chair and supported by BPI’s Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Hailey Willington, EJAG supports the BPI’s Five-Year DEI Strategy and Vision and, where needed, acts as a “critical friend” to help enable collaborative and inclusive change across the sector.
The new members, who now begin a two-year term, are:
- Christopher De Banks (Founder/Director, Not Saints)
- Josh Daniel (Head of Interval Records and Chief Commercial Officer, Generator)
- Kienda Hoji (Music Business Academic and Music Lawyer)
- Laverne Thomas (Operations Lead for Sub-Saharan Africa, Warner Music Group)
- Linfa Kear (Sync & Brand Partnerships Coordinator, [PIAS])
- Samar Khan (Marketing Specialist EMEA, Live Nation Entertainment)
- Vahishtai Ghosh (Equalities & Industry Development Officer, SMIA)
They join existing EJAG members:
- Alex Hannaby (Head of UK, Big Machine Label Group) – EJAG Deputy Chair
- Asma Siddique (Lead Counsel – International, PRS For Music)
- Ben Price (Artist Manager & Producer, Harbourside Artist Management)
- Eve Horne (Founder, We Are the Unheard)
- Indy Vidyalankara (Founder EJAG member, and Founder, Indypendent PR)
- Iona Rodger (Marketing Coordinator, Universal Music Group)
- Laura Lewis-Paul (Founder and CEO, Saffron Music)
- Mackinlay Ingham (Junior Marketing Manager, Polydor Records)
- María Cecilia Ayalde Ángel (Operations and Partnerships Manager, Media Tracks)
- Martina Connors (Artist Management Consultant, Beatink)
- Matt Cham (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Consultant, Warner Music Group)
- Meenal Odedra (Founder EJAG member, and Distribution and streaming)
- Trenton Tomlinson (Label Operations Executive, Universal Music Group)
- YolanDa Brown (BPI Chair) – EJAG Chair
Commenting on the appointments, YolanDa Brown said:
“On behalf of EJAG, we are delighted to welcome our new members and look forward to being able to draw on their breadth of experience and expertise as we build on our important work advocating for a more diverse, equitable and inclusive industry. We owe a huge debt to our EJAG founding members after a near-decade of valued service and commitment, and we thank them for their dedication, wisdom, and all that they have contributed.”
In their role at SMIA, Vahishtai support lasting, care-based change in Scotland’s music sector. Their role focuses on embedding inclusive, accessible, and accountable practices as a rethinking of how it is built, sustained, and imagined. Through policy development, consultation, outreach, and internal review, their aim is to help shape an industry where equity is embedded into every practice, process, and decision.