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Tuesday, February 24, 2009

How It Feels to Be Fired Carol Bartz-Style: “Amazing”

donald-trump-youre-fired-above-the-law-blog

A few weeks ago, BoomTown got a rather compelling email from Marion Vermazen, who once worked at Sun Microsystems with new Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz–and where Bartz actually fired Vermazen.

Her take on the experience?

“Amazing,” said Vermazen, given how Bartz handled it herself–driving 30 minutes to Vermazen’s office–in a very straightforward way.

In other words, a kinder, classier Donald Trump “Apprentice” style, but without the cameras and bad hair.

It’s instructive now, given that Bartz is likely to have to give several big Yahoo execs the heave-ho in the days ahead as she unveils her new management structure soon.

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Friday, February 20, 2009

“Hurricane Carol” Bartz Could Announce a Major Yahoo Management Reorg Next Week

Several sources inside and outside Yahoo told BoomTown that new Yahoo CEO, Carol Bartz–whom some Yahoos have dubbed “Hurricane Carol”–could be ready to announce a major reorganization of its management structure as early as next week, most likely on Wednesday.

While that shift could be pushed out a week or two or rolled out in pieces, Yahoo execs are nervously awaiting the moves by Bartz to put a new regime in place in order to more easily power through a massive reset of the troubled company.

While many top execs are very much in the dark about what Bartz will do, most expect her to severely roll back a variety of previous reorganizations in favor of a more accountable C-level-style set-up, with execs like a COO, CTO and a new, more powerful CMO (who will also head PR), all reporting to her.

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Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Bartz Holds First Exec Offsite, as the Yahoos Turn (and Twist in the Wind)!

Today, Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz has convened a two-day offsite of its managers, to bring them all together to talk about the company.

Aside from a colorful all-hands meeting she has held with the whole company, the gathering is Bartz’s first major one of its top execs, sources said, and is being held on Yahoo’s campus in Sunnyvale.

Sources said they believe Bartz has prepared an organizational structure that she will unveil soon, but has not told Yahoo’s senior staff what will be shifted, what will be consolidated and what will perhaps be cut.

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Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Yahoo’s Decker Resigned With Class–Now Chairman Bostock Should Exit Stage Right Too

It took a lot of guts for Yahoo President Sue Decker to resign immediately yesterday and without the usual polite waiting period that happens in most major corporate management shifts.

In doing so, Decker left new CEO Carol Bartz with the cleanest slate she could.

It would be nice, then, if the man who was also just as, if not much more, responsible for the disaster that has been Yahoo for too long–Chairman Roy Bostock–would take a clue from Decker and outgoing CEO Jerry Yang and head out the door too.

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The Past Is Prologue: Carol Bartz and Autodesk in 1992=Yahoo Now

Here is a story, in full, by the always terrific G. Pascal Zachary, which appeared in The Wall Street Journal in 1992, about the newly hired CEO Carol Bartz and the “theocracy of hackers” at then-wacky Autodesk.

Three guesses about who eventually won that battle, and the first two don’t count.

Fast-forward to 2008, with Bartz now taking up the difficult reins of Yahoo, which is a little more behaved than Autodesk was then, but still a handful.

Déjà vu anyone?

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Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Liveblogging Yahoo’s Bartz as CEO Announcement: Her First Words? “Yahoooo!” and “Friggin’”

Oh, BoomTown really likes Carol Bartz as Yahoo CEO already.

In Yahoo’s conference call today, she has sternly lectured everyone to give Yahoo some “friggin’ breathing room” and noted that the company “frankly, could use a little management.”

The latter is stating the very obvious, but we like hearing it anyway, and she sounds like she is running the show already.

It’s like watching a digital version of “The Gladiator”!

Here is Boomtown’s live blog of the Yahoo call, starring Carol Bartz as its new CEO.

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Yahoo Confirms Bartz Pick as CEO; No. 2 Exec Decker Out

As reported by BoomTown and others, Yahoo has officially selected former Autodesk head Carol Bartz as its next CEO, effective immediately.

In related news, Yahoo President Sue Decker is out, as Bartz also joins the board.

Cue the trumpets and fanfare! All hail the conquering Carol!

Well, maybe not, considering the dire straits Yahoo has been in of late.

But you can read all about it in the official release, while I ferret out the real information about what’s to come next.

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Is a Microsoft Search Deal With Yahoo “Ticked and Tied”?

Several sources close to Yahoo and Microsoft have told BoomTown that a search partnership deal between the companies is more likely to be signed quickly now that Yahoo has picked former Autodesk CEO Carol Bartz as its next CEO.

Such a deal, which the pair have tried unsuccessfully to strike many times, would be a big boost to Bartz, who is coming into a very difficult turnaround situation at the troubled Internet concern.

Microsoft has a deal ready, but will Bartz sign it?

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Bartz to Be Named Yahoo CEO: Now What’s Next?

It looks like Carol Bartz will be taking on the thankless role as new Yahoo CEO.

Sources close to the situation told BoomTown–which had first named the former Autodesk CEO the top pick for the top job at the troubled Internet company last week–that Bartz has been approved for the job by the Yahoo board and has accepted it.

The Wall Street Journal is also reporting the move.

But can the experienced tech exec turn Yahoo around?

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Friday, January 9, 2009

As BoomTown Said, Bartz Is Tops on the Yahoo CEO Short List–Here’s the Reaction

Following on BoomTown’s report earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal has also named former Autodesk top exec Carol Bartz as a contender for Yahoo CEO in a report today.

Since my post on Wednesday, I have been getting a lot of intense reaction from inside and outside of Yahoo to the idea of an old-line tech CEO–such as Bartz–with little Internet or online advertising experience, taking on the difficult role at Yahoo.

What’s most interesting about the reaction to Bartz is that the kudos and the knocks track very closely.

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Wednesday, January 7, 2009

New Prospect for Yahoo CEO: Carol Bartz

How did BoomTown forget former Autodesk exec Carol Bartz for Yahoo CEO?

Yahoo certainly hasn’t. According to several sources familiar with Yahoo’s search for a new leader to replace Co-founder Jerry Yang, the company is looking hard at the longtime and high-profile Silicon Valley executive.

Bartz is certainly an experienced tech exec and was chairman, president and CEO for 14 years of a company that makes design software. She also serves on the board of Cisco with Yang and on the board of Intel with Yahoo President Sue Decker.

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About Kara

Kara Swisher started covering digital issues for The Wall Street Journal's San Francisco bureau in 1997 and also wrote the BoomTown column about the sector. With Walt Mossberg, she co-produces and co-hosts D: All Things Digital, a major high-tech and media conference. Read more »

Ethics Statement

Here is a statement of my ethics and coverage policies. It is more than most of you want to know, but, in the age of suspicion of the media, I am laying it all out.

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