George Ergatoudis will head up the streaming service’s music curation strategy in the UK.

Radio 1’s head of music George Ergatoudis has quit his role at the BBC to join Spotify.

Ergatoudis took on the role of Radio 1 & 1Xtra’s head of music in 2005 but will leave the BBC in March to join the streaming service, where he will oversee strategy for Spotify’s music curation strategy and content programming in the UK.

“It’s been a privilege to have played a key part in the journey of the world’s greatest music radio station over the last 10 years,” Ergatoudis said in a statement.

“In that time, Radio 1 has successfully moved into a new era of visual and shareable content, helping to drive new young audiences to the BBC.

“Now I’m ready for the next chapter in my career as I take on responsibility for leading Spotify’s in-house music curation strategy and content programming for the UK. I can’t wait to get started.”

While Ergatoudis has been at the BBC since 1997, he foreshadowed his move in 2014, when he said that “albums are edging closer to extinction.”

The move is the latest high-profile departure from Radio 1, which has lost several key staff members to streaming services in 2015. In February, Zane Lowe was hired by Apple to front its 24-hour radio station Beats 1.