Google chief executive Eric Schmidt has joined Apple's board of directors.

Apple chief executive Steve Jobs said in a statement that his company is hoping to tap into Schmidt's expertise.

"Eric is obviously doing a terrific job as chief executive of Google, and we look forward to his contributions as a member of Apple's board of directors," said Jobs.

"Like Apple, Google is very focused on innovation and we think Eric's insights and experience will be very valuable in helping to guide Apple in the years ahead."

Schmidt claimed that Apple is one of the companies in the world that he most admires.

"I am really looking forward to working with Steve [Jobs] and Apple's board to help with all of the amazing things Apple is doing," he said.

Schmidt was appointed chief executive of Google in 2001, prior to which he held executive positions at Novell and Sun Microsystems, where he was one of the primary architects of the Java programming language.

Schmidt's Google stock options have made him a billionaire. Forbes magazine ranked him as the 129th richest person in the world last year with an estimated wealth of $4.8bn.

He also serves on Google's board and is a member of the board of trustees at Princeton University in New Jersey.