VMware has hired away a Google executive to be its first general manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the virtualization company announced Wednesday.

VMware is looking to sign up more customers internationally to maintain its growth rate, which has been slowing in the U.S. The company has said it will appoint a new senior executive to run its Asian business as well.

Maurizio Carli, who was managing director for Google's enterprise business in Europe, started at VMware earlier this month, said VMware spokesman Mathias Raeck. He oversees all of VMware's sales, channels and marketing efforts in the region.

Carli spent only six months at Google's enterprise group, which sells Google Apps subscriptions, the Google Search Appliance and other products for businesses. Before that he ran the EMEA region for Business Objects for five years.

A Google spokesman said Wednesday that it had already found a replacement for Carli who will start next month. Its new managing director for Google Enterprise in EMEA will be Adrian Joseph, who currently manages sales teams for the company's advertising business, said spokesman Anthony House.

VMware CEO Paul Maritz said in October that he would appoint a senior manager to run sales in each major geography, each with its own profit and loss responsibility. They will report to Carl Eschenbach, head of VMware's worldwide field operations.

EMEA is a hodgepodge of markets, some with wide use of virtualization and some in the very early stages, making it an "interesting challenge," Carli said in a statement. He couldn't be reached for an interview.

VMware's growth has been slowing as its business gets larger, and it now faces the challenge of expanding in a tough economy. Its U.S. revenue grew 24 percent in the third quarter to $249 million, while sales internationally were up 42 percent to $224 million, driven by strength in Europe, the company said in October.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.