Yahoo’s CEO, Terry Semel, To Be Replaced By Jerry Yang


The Wall Street Journal reported that Terry Semel has stepped down as Yahoo’s CEO. The new CEO is Yahoo’s co-founder, Jerry Yang. With this change, Susan Decker, former executive vice president and head of Advertiser and Publisher Group, is now president.

Semel told the Wall Street Journal, "As we discussed my future goals and plans, I was clear in telling the Board of my desire to take a step back sooner rather than later." A statement from Semel is now up here, along with press release here; Yang has also blogged about taking over here. From Semel’s statement:

"I believe Jerry and Sue, with their superb talents and intense dedication to Yahoo! and its people, are the perfect combination to carry us forward," Semel said in a prepared statement. "This is the time for new executive leadership, with different skills and strengths, to step in and drive the company to realize its full potential — it is the right thing to do, and the right time is now."

Techmeme roundups are beginning to collect as well over here.

Postscript From Danny: Some highlights from further coverage. First, is Jerry just a fill-in? He says no. From the New York Times:

Several current and former employees said they expected Mr. Yang to spend only a limited amount of time as chief executive. If Ms. Decker is able to prove her management skills, she is likely to take the top job, they said.

Still, Mr. Yang, 38, said Monday, “I very much see the C.E.O. role as something I plan to do for a while.”

But bring in someone else? I have to say, this part of what News.com noted about Yang understanding Yahoo better than anyone resonated with me:

Yang is respected as Yahoo’s co-founder and therefore holds influence. For example, he is involved in every executive decision at Yahoo, insiders say. More importantly, in this case, Yang–whose title is "chief Yahoo"–is considered a passionate user of the network and dedicated to a creating a good user experience. He’s been responsible for numerous design overhauls on the Yahoo home page.

Yang’s passion for Yahoo, critics say, runs in stark contrast to Semel’s, who isn’t known to be an avid user of the site, nor of the Internet at large.

"You couldn’t get an outsider to understand the company better than Yang," said one executive, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "He’s been the voice of the user for a long time."



Barry Schwartz is Search Engine Land's News Editor and owns RustyBrick, a NY based web consulting firm. He also runs Search Engine Roundtable, a popular search blog on very advanced SEM topics. Barry's personal blog is named Cartoon Barry and he can be followed on Twitter here.

See more articles by Barry Schwartz >


Share, Bookmark & Discuss This Article
More:


Keep Updated: News Via Email | News Via RSS Feed | News Via Twitter


See more stories like this in the Members Library! Check out the Yahoo: Employees sections of the Members Library where this story is filed. Members also get access to exclusive video content, a members-only weekly & monthly newsletter, plus more. Check out all the benefits!

ONE COMMENT ON Yahoo’s CEO, Terry Semel, To Be Replaced By Jerry Yang

Sramana Mitra,

Here’s the blueprint for how this company can be turned around: http://sramanamitra.com/blog/1147 (multiple embedded links in the article to follow).




RECENT COMMENTS

  • kloeprich said " The recent news confirms suspicions I’ve had that News Corp and MS were already in negotiations with"
  • Susannah said " I can't wait to try some of these tips this week. What a resource! It's like having a coffee with 21"
  • dian said " I haven't tried that yet but if it is the way Mazter is saying I think it won't going to do any good"

See All »


FREE DAILY SEARCH NEWS RECAP!

Stay on top of all the search news with our daily summary, the SearchCap newsletter. View a sample ›

STAY CURRENT THROUGHOUT THE DAY

RSS Feeds

The Search Engine Land feed keeps you informed as news happens. SEE ALL FEEDS »

Upcoming Search Engine Land Conferences

Advertise With Us »

Search Engine Land produces SMX, the Search Marketing Expo conference series. SMX events deliver the most comprehensive educational and networking experiences - whether you're just starting in search marketing or you're a seasoned expert.


SMX Web Site » | SMX Difference » | SMX News »


Join us at an upcoming SMX event:

Search Marketing Now Learn more about search marketing with our free online webcasts and webinars from our sister site, Search Marketing Now. Upcoming online events include:


See more webcast topics »

TRACK US SOCIALLY
Upcoming Search Engine Land Conferences

Get Your Search Engine Land
Premium Membership!

Become a premium member today and receive:

  • Express commenting privileges & photo.
  • Exclusive videos & newsletters.
  • Discounts to our SMX conferences.
  • Access to "How To" & Other Archives.

Learn More

Upcoming Search Engine Land Conferences
Add to GoogleAdd to My Yahoo!Add to BloglinesAdd to NetvibesAdd to Windows Live