LVMH recruits Apple music executive as digital chief

French luxury giant LVMH said Tuesday it had recruited former Apple music heavyweight Ian Rogers as chief digital officer to the group that produces Louis Vuitton bags and Moet Hennessy spirits.

LVMH's announcement that Rogers will be taking over the group's digital operations in October comes after Apple confirmed Friday that Rogers was stepping down as chief executive of its Beats Electronics unit and head of its streaming music operation.

The luxury goods group said Rogers's task would be to "reinforce the digital ecosystem" across its divisions, and help them "explore new opportunities... in the digital sphere," said LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault in a statement.

"Ian will bring his extensive experience in high-end digital ventures and his innovation-driven spirit to develop LVMH leadership in the digital luxury field," he said.

Last year, Apple paid $3 billion for Beats, the high-end audio equipment and streaming music service created by music industry stars Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre.

Rogers was named CEO at Beats in early 2013, and chief of its streaming music offering. He came from the music technology firm Topspin, and previously was general manager at Yahoo Music.

LMVH's other brands include fashion icons Givenchy, Fendi, Kenzo and Donna Karen and perfumes by Christian Dior and Guerlain.