Microsoft Fills Post With Yahoo Veteran

Microsoft Corp. hired a former top executive from Yahoo Inc. to run its Internet operations, seeking to strengthen a strategically important business in which the software giant has struggled to gain traction.

The appointment of Qi Lu as president of the online services group fills a glaring vacancy in Microsoft's management as it tries to catch up to Google Inc., the dominant player in the online search and advertising markets.

At the same time, the Redmond, Wash., company said Brian McAndrews, senior vice president of Microsoft's advertiser and publisher solutions group, has decided to leave. Mr. McAndrews had been a ...