Google CIO joins EMI
A leading Google executive has decided to depart the search provider for pastures new.
It has been announced that Douglas Merrill, Google’s Chief Information Officer, is leaving later this month to take up a new position at British music firm EMI.
In a statement release today, EMI said that Merrill is to become the company’s President of Digital Music, taking up his post on 28th April.
“I have two passions. One is creating platforms and tools that make it easier for consumers to achieve their goals. The other is music,” explained Merrill.
Although moving to a company headquartered overseas, Merrill will not be moving far - he is to be based at EMI’s Los Angeles offices, a relatively short trip down the coast of California.
In moving from heading up internal engineering at Google, Douglas Merrill will now be focusing on reviving the online fortunes of a record label that is struggling to restructure its operations in the face of declining CD sales and internet piracy.
He follows former Google VP Sheryl Sandberg out of the Googleplex, who left to become Chief Operating Officer at Facebook last month.
The departures of some of their executives are unlikely to cause much panic at Google though, as indicated in a statement to The New York Times.
“We have a deep bench and work hard to grow leaders within the company. We are attracting immensely talented people around the world every day.”
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