Not a lot of media experience in this choice, reported here by the WSJ. Kara had speculated on this previously.
Bartz has a lot of experience in other parts of the technology world, to be sure, and is widely respected. And I love that her former company, Autodesk, is in Marin, where I founded FM. But it does strike me that Yahoo needs a stronger suite of media-savvy executives now that Weiner and Rosensweig are gone.
The selection of Carol Bartz to head Yahoo seems to carry a mixed message. Her connections to Microsoft caught my attention. I wish her great success with managing what continues to be the best email service provider I’ve experienced.
Well, I guess they only need a media-savvy exec if that person is going to be tasked with growing the business vs. dismantling/selling it! 🙂
Wall Street doesn’t seem to be too enamored with the decision yet, with the stock down 2% on the day.
I’d like to know to what degree you feel personal attributes play a role in a technology company — or even in a media company. (?)
I love the choice of a real operator at Yahoo!. The problem with Yahoo! was/is that they had/have too many visionaries leading too many product initiatives resulting in a company that’s just way too scattered and fat. (That is, I agree in retrospect with Brad Garlinghouse.)
So, my hope is that Bartz can provide the discipline and focus so badly needed.
Hi,
It seems that she’s what they need – An operational manager, doing the nuts and bolts of running a business.
Yahoo has so much potential, it just needs to be freed from its restraints of age.
Kind regards,
Shakir Razak
The choice is in-line with yahoo’s history of focusing on product, and I don’t mean that complimentarily. While everyone in Search Engine Marketing wishes Yahoo well and wants them to be a credible threat, I don’t see this appointment making that happen.
A product-focused approach is not what they need to breath life into search.
Why should she need media experience? Barack Obama has no executive experience and we elected him President of the United States.
It seems a little late to be quibbling over specific types of experience when a CEO who (hopefully) won’t sell the search business to Microsoft steps up to the plate.
Yahoo! has had more than enough of “media experience”. Right now it needs some business experience.