Dramatico Ups Bowles To MD

London-based Dramatico Entertainment head of international marketing Andrew Bowles has been promoted to managing director.

Bowles' promotion, according to Dramatico chairman Mike Batt, is recognition for his role in the breakout international success of the indie label's signing, Katie Melua.

"Andrew has been fantastic for Dramatico since joining us from Hot Records only eighteen months ago," said Batt in a statement. "The incredibly successful launch of Katie Melua's second album 'Piece By Piece' simultaneously in the U.K. and Continental Europe last year is largely down to his stewardship and development of the network of distributors with whom we work."

"Piece By Piece" was the second best-selling independent album in the United Kingdom in 2005, behind Kaiser Chief's "Employment" (B Unique/Polydor), labels body the BPI reported in its 2006 "Statistical Handbook." After debuting at No. 1 last October, the album sold more than 880,000 copies by the end of the year, according to sales data gathered by the Official U.K. Charts Company.

Bowles assumes his new post amid an expansion and restructuring at Dramatico. The company recently named Nick Coquet, formerly with U.K. retail giant Woolworth's, as online marketing manager. In addition, Michael Dunne recently joined the company as video editor.

Batt also recently appointed Sven Meyer and George Garcia to jointly run the Munich office of Dramatico GmbH as co-managing directors. Dramatico also has a U.S. office in New York, run by Emma Quigley.