Yahoo CEO Bartz to Reorg for More ‘Top-Down’ Authority

It’s probably safe to say that Yahoo has lots of fans rooting for the company to succeed under the management of new CEO Carol Bartz. In my vicarious observation of Bartz I’ve come to appreciate her no-nonsense approach and sense of humor.

And as could have been anticipated after her appointment, another Yahoo reorganization is coming. Yahoo employees have got to be suffering a bit from deja vu or what might be called “reorg fatigue” in all this.

Yahoo does need to execute at a faster pace and certain operations within the organization could be rationalized I’m sure. Beyond this every CEO wants to put his/her stamp on an organization.

The Wall Street Journal characterizes the impending reorg as imposing more “top-down” control over the organization:

The plan aims to speed-up decision-making and give Yahoo products a more consistent appearance by consolidating certain functions that have previously been spread out across the company — like product development and marketing — into single, standalone departments, people familiar with the matter say . . .

One likely scenario under discussion is that Yahoo’s chief technology officer, Aristotle Balogh, would expand his role to become head of product, say people familiar with the matter. The move would put Mr. Balogh in charge of product strategy and management in addition to product technology.

Hilary Schneider, currently in charge of the company’s advertising, publishing and audience groups in the U.S., would become head of North America.

Yahoo’s European, Asian and emerging markets divisions would be consolidated under one boss, said these people, cautioning that the roles and executives tapped to fill them could change.

And if you want lots of detail on who may be in or out and general gossip about the structure, you can get that from AllThingsD here, here and here.

About The Author

Greg Sterling

Greg Sterling is a Contributing Editor at Search Engine Land. He writes a personal blog, Screenwerk, about connecting the dots between digital media and real-world consumer behavior. He is also VP of Strategy and Insights for the Local Search Association. Follow him on Twitter or find him at Google+.