Elio Leoni-Sceti is the little-known Italian likely to end up running the music division of EMI. He comes not from the music business, but from Reckitt Benckiser, the consumer products group, where he was responsible for the company's low-concept marketing until taking over its European operations two years ago.

A Reckitt advertisement for its cockroach spray shows the large beetles racing to get away, after being doused by a toxins made by the company and a rival. Reckitt's Mortein kills the roaches before they make it, unlike the competing product, allowing executives to demonstrate what they call Mortein's superior “speed of death”.

EMI artists - the likes of Robbie Williams and Coldplay - will be hoping for greater longevity from a man who has risen rapidly up the ranks at Reckitt.

What Mr Leoni-Sceti will bring, if appointed, is the international marketing skills to complement the A&R expertise of the recently appointed Nick Gatfield. Hopefully, this will happen as the record company owned by Guy Hands's Terra Firma tries to build a central marketing operation capable of better promoting its acts.

However, the likely appointment of an unknown marketeer should dismay the close-knit world of the music industry, which had hoped to see a high-profile executive at the top of the British music major.

Few details about the 42-year-old, who is based in Reckitt's Slough headquarters, are known, although he does not need money. He holds nearly £9million of Reckitt shares, after selling about £8million of them last summer.

He also built up a career at the company that dates back to when he joined from Procter & Gamble in 1992.

The EMI appointment is not definite - others are in the race - but after the leak yesterday it could be announced soon.