Warner/Chappell chieftain Jon Platt will replace Marty Bandier when he steps down as head of Sony/ATV at the end of March. It's believed that the widely admired W/C chief was the choice of the powers that be in Tokyo.

Platt came up at Bandier's baby, EMI Music Publishing, during its glory days, spending 17 years at the company (and racking up a list of signings that included Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Drake and Kanye West before exiting in 2012) and there's a longtime bond of affection between the two men, both of whom have taken their companies to new heights of success over the last few years.

When the big man receives the City of Hope's Spirit of Life Award on 10/11, the event will be all the more momentous.

“As some of you have heard from Jon Platt,” reads a quote from WMG’s Steve Cooper in a memo obtained by HITS, “he will be leaving Warner/Chappell before the end of this calendar year. An announcement will be made in due course about where he’s headed.”

“Warner/Chappell is a very different company than the one he joined in 2012, and he leaves it well positioned for continued growth and change,” Cooper added. “Our songwriters’ success in shaping the hits of today and the sounds of tomorrow is attracting a wealth of creative talent at all stages of their careers. At the same time, our outstanding global team is growing its reputation for always backing our songwriters with integrity and ambition.”

“While we identify a new CEO, Jon will work with COO Carianne Marshall and the senior management team to ensure a smooth transition. With the Warner/Chappell U.S. team’s upcoming move to our new L.A. HQ, we have a great opportunity to build on our strong momentum.”

Noted Platt in the same memo, “Our songwriters have become the standard for creative excellence. Our team has built Warner/Chappell into the strongest company it’s ever been. We’ve done it together, and we’ve done it our own way. I have no doubt that you can reach even higher.”

“WMG is an amazing company. I’ve grown so much in my time here, not only as a music executive, but as a leader. I’ll be forever grateful to Steve Cooper and Len Blavatnik for their belief in me, and for their support. Most importantly, I want to thank you – all of you around the world – I am humbled by the support and trust you’ve so generously given me.”

“Throughout my career,” Platt concluded, “I’ve always put songwriters first. It’s a philosophy that has guided me well. I know you feel the same way. So I know that nothing is going to stop you from continuing the great work you are doing for songwriters.”