Fuller, the former manager of the Spice Girls, has reportedly offered the drama chief an impressive six-figure salary to jump ship. He will leave the BBC at the end of the year.
Yound said: "I've had the happiest and most fulfilling seven years at the BBC, but when Simon approached me about he and I working together, it was a no-brainer.
"We both aspire to make 'talk about TV' for big, mainstream audiences and the time feels right for us to take advantage of the many exciting opportunities, both in the UK and the States," he said.
Young was headhunted to help 19 create drama formats for US and UK markets as Fuller's firm looks to break out of its music show ghetto. As well as being behind 'Pop Idol' and 'Popstars', 19 produces 'Popworld' for Channel 4.
Alan Yentob, creative director and director of drama, dntertainment and CBBC, said: "Mal has made a great contribution to BBC Drama. Over the last seven years he's developed shows which bear testament to his passion and commitment to popular drama.
"He's now got a new challenge in the USA. We'll miss him but we look forward to working with him in his new role."
Young's career at the BBC spans seven years and his highlights include continuing drama series 'Holby City', 'Casualty' and 'Silent Witness', as well as briefly resurrecting Dirty Den for 'EastEnders'.
Young began his television career working on 'Brookside', working his way up to producer in the early 1990s. By the time he joined the BBC, he had worked on ITV's 'The Bill' and Channel 5's 'Family Affairs'.
A former graphic designer, Young did not get into TV until he was 27. Most recently, he has been serving as executive producer on the new series of 'Doctor Who', alongside BBC Wales head of drama Julie Gardner and 'Queer as Folk' writer Russell T Davies.
It will be a major loss for the corporation, which only last week announced Louise Berridge, the executive producer of 'EastEnders', was leaving the show after three years.
It will not be the first time Fuller's 19 Entertainment has poached a terrestrial head. Nigel Lythgoe, the former head of entertainment at LWT, left the network to work on creative formats for 19 including 'Popstars'.
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