EMI appoints Google exec to head digital division

by Jacquie Bowser, Brand Republic 03-Apr-08, 08:55

LONDON - EMI Music has poached Google's chief information officer Douglas Merrill to lead its digital operations, continuing the apparent exodus of top executives from the search giant.

Merrill will join EMI as president of digital business on April 28, heading up a new global function that will be responsible for all of the company's digital strategy, innovation, business development and global technology activities.

He joined Google late in 2003, where he rose up to become vice-president of engineering before becoming chief information officer. He was responsible for all billing and revenue technology and processes for Google worldwide, together with internal engineering.

Previously, Merrill held the position of senior vice-president at Charles Schwab and Co, the US financial services provider, and he also worked at PriceWaterhouseCoopers in security implementation practices.

Guy Hands, chief executive officer of Terra Firma and chairman of EMI Group, said: "Douglas is a proven agent of change who combines broad business intellect with a deep engineering background.

"His experience, talents and his ability to drive innovation will be enormously valuable to EMI and to its artists."

Merrill is the third high-profile Google executive to leave the internet giant in just over a month. Sheryl Sandberg, Google's former vice-president of global online sales and operations, left in early March to become Facebook's chief operating officer. She was followed by Ethan Beard, former head of social media, who also left to join Facebook last week.

Merrill said: "I have two passions. One is creating platforms and tools that make it easier for consumers to achieve their goals. The other is music.

"This exciting new role at EMI is a unique opportunity for me to be able to put those two passions to work together and help deliver EMI's objective of providing the best services in the world to consumers and musicians."