EMI has signalled a major step up in its digital strategy with the appointment of a senior Google executive to the new role of president of digital business.

Douglas Merrill, Google's chief information officer who led the web giant's highly successful flotation in 2004, will join EMI on April 28. Merrill was recruited by Guy Hands, the EMI chairman and head of its private equity owner, Terra Firma.

Based at EMI's Los Angeles office, Merrill will have a remit to lead EMI's digital strategy, business development, innovation and global technology implementation.

Hands said Merrill was a "proven agent of change who combines broad business intellect with a deep engineering background".

"He has been a key member of the management team at Google which has created more value than any other consumer internet company by focusing relentlessly on tools that enable consumers to do things more effectively," he added.

Merrill said that he has a passion for music and for "creating platforms and tools that make it easier for consumers to achieve their goals".

At Google he was one of 12 executives responsible for managing the corporation's powerful engineering department.

He has also worked on Checkout, Google's online payment system, and overhauled the firm's fledgling radio advertising business.

Several key staff have quit Google recently, with Facebook attracting senior executive Sheryl Sandberg as its new chief operating officer and Ethan Beard as its head of social media.

Gideon Yu has also stepped down as YouTube's chief financial officer to take the same job at Facebook.

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