Simon Cowell has appointed Syco A&R Tyler Brown MD and A&R duo Anya Jones and Guy Langley Head of A&R and Senior A&R Manager respectively, while bidding a fond farewell to outgoing President Sonny Takhar—a “talented, loyal and hardworking” exec.

Takhar is leaving behind a 20-year career with Cowell to launch a new entertainment venture in L.A. He joined the music business at RCA Records in '94 before partnering with Cowell in ’97, working at S Records with Westlife and Il Divo. He then helped launch Sony JV Syco Music and TV, where he was appointed MD, becoming President in 2010. In One Direction, Little Mix, Leona Lewis and more, the duo have achieved over 400m record sales.

Said Cowell: “When I first decided to build Syco, it was my wish to create a place where young, talented executives could learn and grow their talent.

“Sonny has been there every step of the way with me—and in this business loyalty is rare—but I’m lucky that Sonny and I have had an incredible two decades of friendship and success together.

“He’s one of the most talented, loyal and hardworking music executives I have ever met and I wish him every success for the future in his new venture. And we will continue to work together!”

Takhar added: “Over the last 20 years, Simon has been an incredible mentor and friend to me. I owe him so much.

"I am extremely proud of the company that we have built and the unprecedented success that we have achieved together. More importantly, I have made lifelong friends at Syco and across the Sony family.

“I leave the business in the safest possible hands with a team that has a huge appetite for winning. This isn’t goodbye.”

Brown joined Syco Music in 2008 as an A&R Assistant, and has worked with One Direction, Digital Farm Animals and Louisa Johnson.

He was named Head of A&R in 2015 and will begin his new role as MD from January 2017, reporting to Cowell, who described the exec as dedicated, talented and passionate.

“I’m incredibly happy to have so many talented people now at the top of Syco, all of whom started their careers with us, including Tyler, Anya and Guy,” Cowell continued.

“This team’s talent, passion and ability to launch worldwide artists is unmatched - and I’m really excited about the company’s future together.”

Jones, now one of a small handful of top-level women in the U.K. music industry, joined Syco Music in 2007 as a marketing manager before moving into A&R, working with Susan Boyle, Ella Henderson, Fleur East and Little Mix. Langley joined Syco Music in 2008 as an A&R assistant before becoming A&R manager in 2011. Since then, he's worked with artists including James Arthur and Il Divo, and partnered with Jones on all four Little Mix albums. The Syco team is bolstered by Pat Handlin, who joined from Sony Music Australia in September as a Senior A&R Manager.