Digital Business For EMI

The appointment of former Google chief information officer Douglas Merrill to the position of president of EMI's digital business is certainly one of the more innovative executive moves made by a major label in recent memory.

Merrill -- an outsider to the music industry -- comes from a company known for championing experimentation and innovation, for taking a customer-centric approach to all initiatives, and for making information universally accessible in any from. But don't let Merrill's tech-geek background fool you, he's a music nut as well -- as evidenced by an impromptu jam he gave in the office of EMI chief Guy Hands.

Among the row of gold and platinum records on the wall in Hands' office is one of Merrill's favorite bands -- the Sex Pistols. Without missing a beat, the long-locked Merrill busted out his own rendition of the punk pioneers' "EMI" as Hands looked on, during their first meeting. There's no telling whether that performance played any role in his landing the job, but what's clear is his passion for music.

"Music has been a huge part of my life since I was a kid. I think back on the memories of my life and I can remember the songs that were playing at the time. I hear a song on the radio and it will remind me of them. I'm so excited to being a part of the industry trying to figure out what the next business model for it is.


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