Baidu Hires Senior Microsoft Exec As COO

Baidu, China's online search leader, said today it has hired Qi Lu as Baidu's Group President and chief operating officer, in charge of products, technology, sales, marketing and operations effective immediately. Before joining Baidu, Lu served as Microsoft's global executive vice president and led one of Microsoft's three business units. Lu possesses a wealth of leadership and management experience, and is a leading authority in the area of artificial intelligence," Baidu CEO Robin Li said in a statement. "To achieve our goals, especially in artificial intelligence, which is a key strategic focus for the next decade, we will need to continue attracting the best global talent. With Dr. Lu on board, we are confident that our strategy will be executed smoothly and Baidu will become a world-class technology company and global leader in AI." Lu holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science from Fudan University in Shanghai and a PhD in computer science from Carnegie Mellon University.