James McKnight Appointed as CEO of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group has announced the upcoming appointment of ex-Harry Potter Chief Creative Officer, James McKnight, as its new Chief Executive Officer.

McKnight will be joining the Really Useful Group in December after two successful years with Björn Ulvaeus’ company Pophouse Entertainment where he has led global brand strategy and entertainment R&D as Executive Creative Director. James will continue his relationship with Pophouse Entertainment as part of its Investment Advisory Committee.

Prior to that, McKnight spent seven years as Chief Creative Officer for the Harry Potter franchise at The Blair Partnership. In this role he was responsible for the global strategy and development of the franchise on behalf of J.K Rowling, and oversaw a multitude of strategic partnerships including the highly acclaimed collaborations with the teams at Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Warner Bros. Discovery.

James McKnight said, “Andrew Lloyd Webber has always been synonymous with breaking new ground and driving change and innovation in live theatre, music and the wider entertainment world with his incredible compositions and ground-breaking produc ons. I’ve built my career around strategically and meaningfully taking entertainment brands into new spaces and introducing them to new audiences, and I’m thrilled I’ll soon get the opportunity to continue that journey with Andrew, the Really Useful Group team and their exceptional partners worldwide.”

Speaking on James’ appointment, Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “James brings with him excep onal experience taking some of the world’s biggest entertainment tles and exploring them in new and interes ng ways for diverse audiences. His experience matches our ambi on to con nue to break ground across different entertainment areas, while maintaining a strong focus on growing our live theatre business. We’re all delighted he will be joining us later in the year.”