MySpace has officially announced the appointment of entrepreneur and former AOL exec Mike Jones as COO, as BoomTown reported earlier today.

But the social-networking site also named former Sling Media top exec Jason Hirschhorn as chief product officer in what has become a series of senior management moves at MySpace.

The paidContent Web site first reported on the Hirschhorn appointment earlier this morning.

Besides Sling, which he recently left in a mass departure of top execs, Hirschhorn was also the top digital exec at MTV Networks and was part of the team at Viacom (VIA) that unsuccessfully tried to buy MySpace many years ago.

Both Hirschhorn and Jones, who are already based in Los Angeles, will report to newly named CEO Owen Van Natta, the former COO of Facebook, who replaced MySpace co-founder and CEO Chris DeWolfe last week.

Recently installed News Corp. (NWS) digital head Jon Miller has put in place a trio of well-known Internet execs at the top of MySpace, which has seen its buzz and momentum wane in the face of the huge growth at Facebook.

MySpace’s motto is “A Place for Friends.” But it might very well now be: A place for wandering digital execs.

And expect more top execs to wander away from MySpace too. Once the trio get their bearings, many sources indicate that News Corp., the owner of MySpace, has given Van Natta and his key execs free rein to remake the unit.

There is a lot to fix at the entertainment-, music- and media-heavy site, from a renegotiation with Google (GOOG) over its advertising search deal to goosing traffic to innovating its look and feel.

In addition, MySpace is likely to forge closer tech ties with Silicon Valley, where Facebook is based.

News Corp. already noted that it was in talks with MySpace co-founder and President Tom Anderson about a new role in the company. Also likely to get a major look-see are top execs like sales head Jeff Berman and CTO Aber Whitcomb, as well as a number of others.

To begin, though, the trio will meet the staff of MySpace, more than 1,000 people, in an all-hands event to be held outside of its building in Beverly Hills, Calif., at about 3:30 p.m. today.

Sources tell me there is no space big enough at the HQ to accommodate them, so the courtyard of the building will be used.

BoomTown is in Los Angeles today, by coincidence, but will not be crashing the event, so send interesting tidbits my way.

Here is the full release:

Los Angeles, CA, April 27, 2009–News Corporation today announced an expansion of MySpace’s management team with two key new hires. Michael Jones has been named Chief Operating Officer and Jason Hirschhorn has been named Chief Product Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Jones and Mr. Hirschhorn will be based in Los Angeles and report to MySpace CEO Owen Van Natta.

Jones has founded and operated several online businesses, including Userplane, a leading provider of tools for online communities such as MySpace. Userplane was acquired in 2006 by AOL, where Jones subsequently served as a senior vice president and focused on social media monetization and also pioneered the distribution of widgets and other technology to Web publishers. Most recently, he was the founder and CEO of Tsavo Media, an online content and search network developing next-generation publishing platforms and technology services.

Hirschhorn has led both start-up and established online businesses. Most recently, he was president of Sling Media, Inc.’s Entertainment Group, which created consumer-driven applications and services for the Slingbox device. Previously, he was chief digital officer at MTV Networks, where he oversaw the company’s digital media businesses, products and strategies. Hirschhorn joined MTV Networks following the acquisition of his company, Mischief New Media, which provided interactive services to the entertainment industry.

“Michael’s operational insight and knowledge of the social media market will prove to be a valuable asset as we set out to evolve the MySpace product offering,” said Jon Miller, chief digital officer, News Corporation. “From a product perspective, there’s no better choice than Jason, who is highly regarded as an incredibly talented innovator, media executive and leader, all qualities I know will greatly benefit our team and our users.”

“We were attracted to Michael’s unique background in building and operating successful businesses that fall directly in our sweet spot, and I look forward to leveraging his skill set as we further refine and shape the MySpace vision,” said Mr. Van Natta. “Jason’s reputation for creating compelling consumer experiences that leverage the intersection of technology, design and media is unmatched and we’re excited to have him join us.”

“I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to build upon the successes of the company’s founders and am eager to work with Owen and Jon and the rest of the incredible management team at MySpace as we enter this exciting new phase in the company’s already revered history,” said Mr. Jones. Mr. Hirschhorn continued, “MySpace is one of the most alluring innovations of our time and I am honored to collaborate with Tom Anderson and the rest of the MySpace team to take what is already a stellar product into its next evolution.”

(New Corp. also owns Dow Jones, which owns this Web site.)

New MySpace CEO Owen Van Natta starts his first day on the job at MySpace bright and early this morning, coming to its Beverly Hills HQ as he takes over for co-founder and former CEO Chris DeWolfe.

Along with him will be a new COO, former AOL exec Mike Jones, whose appointment will be announced this morning, sources said.

The pair will meet with MySpace staff today at 3:30 p.m. PDT.

Jones was the founder of Userplane, a social-networking application maker that was bought by then-AOL head Jon Miller in 2006.

Miller is now the digital chief at News Corp. (NWS), which owns MySpace.

(News Corp. also owns Dow Jones, which owns this Web site.)

Jones left the Time Warner (TWX) unit last year to start Tsavo, a digital content start-up.

Van Natta, who was running the Project Playlist start-up until his appointment, has stronger Silicon Valley ties. For now, he will commute to MySpace from Northern California, where his family lives.

Van Natta was a former top-ranking Facebook exec, still holding a small stake in the MySpace rival, and has also worked at Amazon (AMZN).

But, with a strong product and technology background, the Los Angeles-based Jones is an excellent choice to be a partner to Van Natta–who was hired by Miller last week in a flurry of change at the social-networking site.

Their challenges include: Reinvigorating the MySpace brand, upgrading its technology, adding more innovation to its feature set, continuing to grow its nascent advertising business and dealing with the tough renegotiation of its lucrative search and advertising deal with Google (GOOG).

They must also play deft diplomats at MySpace, where many remain loyal to DeWolfe and to co-founder Tom Anderson. Anderson is in talks to step down as president for an unspecified new role in the company. He currently remains president.

See a chat I had with Jones in the video below that I did at a gathering of Beta South, a networking organization for digital start-ups in the Los Angeles area, last year. (Jones is at the start, talking about the differences between Silicon Valley and Southern California.)

And if you want to read an informative and solidly reported piece on Van Natta–and are perplexed as BoomTown is by factually-challenged and agenda-stuffed diatribes of some about him–try out this one in The Wall Street Journal today.

Here is Jones in my video:

Former Facebook COO Owen Van Natta has finally been officially named as CEO of MySpace, as BoomTown reported yesterday, according to a press release from News Corp.

He will replace CEO and co-founder Chris DeWolfe, who stepped down from the job earlier this week. DeWolfe will remain a strategic adviser at MySpace.

Van Natta, 39, will take over immediately and be based in Los Angeles, where MySpace has its HQ. But, with strong ties to Silicon Valley, he is likely to give the site more of a high-tech infusion.

Van Natta has most recently been running Project Playlist, a controversial music-sharing start-up based in Palo Alto, Calif. Previous to that, he worked at Amazon (AMZN).

He will be replaced there, in turn, by well-known former MTV Networks exec and co-founder John Sykes.

No other new top execs at the huge social-networking site have been named yet, as some had reported.

Instead, it will be up to Van Natta, who will work closely with and report to new News Corp. digital head Jon Miller, to energize the current staff and recruit new talent to MySpace.

The social-networking giant has seen its buzz and momentum wane in the face of the juggernaut growth of Facebook.

Van Natta played a key role in Facebook’s formation, striking key investment and advertising deals with Microsoft (MSFT), for example. He left after it was clear he was not going to become CEO, a job held by founder Mark Zuckerberg.

Nonetheless, MySpace is still the largest social network in the U.S., although Facebook is close to surpassing its size.

All Things Digital broke the news earlier this week that Van Natta was the top choice of News Corp. (NWS), which owns MySpace.

(News Corp. also owns Dow Jones, which owns this Web site.)

In his new job, Van Natta has a lot of challenges, including: reinvigorating the MySpace brand, upgrading its technology, adding more innovation to its feature set, continuing to grow its nascent advertising business and dealing with the expected end to its lucrative search-advertising deal with Google (GOOG).

He also must play deft diplomat at MySpace, where many remain loyal to DeWolfe and to co-founder Tom Anderson. Anderson is in talks to step down as president for an unspecified new role in the company. He currently remains president.

Here’s the full press release on Van Natta:

News Corporation Names Owen Van Natta Chief Executive Officer of MySpace
______________________

Los Angeles, CA, April 24, 2009–News Corporation today announced the appointment of Owen Van Natta to the role of MySpace Chief Executive Officer effective immediately. Mr. Van Natta will be based in Los Angeles and report directly to Jonathan Miller, News Corporation’s CEO of Digital Media and Chief Digital Officer.

A highly-regarded digital executive, Mr. Van Natta, 39, previously served as Chief Revenue Officer and Vice President of Operations for Facebook, where he helped negotiate Facebook’s $240 million investment from Microsoft. Earlier, he served as Vice President of Worldwide Business and Corporate Development for Amazon.com. Most recently, he was the CEO of Playlist, Inc., an online music company.

“Owen combines a deep understanding of social networking, a keen business sense and the operational experience to guide MySpace through its next phase of growth. I’m confident his leadership will be an invaluable asset,” said Mr. Miller. “I plan to work closely with Owen to shape our long-term vision around this vibrant community that already attracts more than 130 million users worldwide.”

“I’m thrilled to have the privilege to pilot MySpace in what is sure to be an incredibly exciting and rewarding next chapter for the business,” said Mr. Van Natta. “I feel honored to build upon the immeasurable achievements of the MySpace founders and look forward to working with Jon and the MySpace team to meet the challenges and make the most of the opportunities before us.”

While serving as Vice President of Operations and Chief Revenue Officer for Facebook, Van Natta focused on revenue operations, business development, strategic partnerships and technical operations. As Vice President of Worldwide Business and Corporate Development at Amazon.com, he managed global marketing programs and strategic partnerships. He was also part of the founding team of A9.com, the Amazon.com search company, and was responsible for site operations and sponsored-link advertising. Owen earned a B.A. from the University of California at Santa Cruz.

Former Facebook exec Owen Van Natta will be named CEO of MySpace as early as tomorrow said sources close to the situation.

He will replace CEO and co-founder Chris DeWolfe, who stepped down from the job yesterday. DeWolfe will remain a strategic adviser at MySpace.

News Corp. declined comment.

No other top execs at the huge social-networking site will be named yet, as some have reported.

Instead, it will be up to Van Natta, who will work closely with new News Corp. digital head Jon Miller, to energize the current staff and recruit new talent to MySpace, which has seen its buzz and momentum wane in the face of the juggernaut growth of Facebook.

Nonetheless, MySpace is still the largest social network in the U.S., although Facebook is close to surpassing its size.

All Things Digital broke the news yesterday that Van Natta was the top choice of News Corp. (NWS), which owns MySpace.

(News Corp. also owns Dow Jones, which owns this Web site.)

In his new job, Van Natta has a lot of challenges, including: reinvigorating the MySpace brand, upgrading its technology, adding more innovation to its feature set, continuing to grow its nascent advertising business and dealing with the expected end to its lucrative online ad deal with Google (GOOG).

He also must play deft diplomat at MySpace, where many remain loyal to DeWolfe and to co-founder Tom Anderson. Anderson was in talks to step down as president yesterday for an unspecified new role in the company. He currently remains president.

Van Natta knows from tense company politics. He left Facebook last year after serving as its COO, and also as chief revenue officer, after his relationship with founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg foundered.

But before that, he was key to striking its lucrative search and advertising deal with Microsoft (MSFT) as well as negotiating the $240 million investment by the software giant that valued Facebook at an eye-popping $15 billion.

Van Natta has most recently been running Project Playlist, a controversial music-sharing site.

A purchase of the start-up is not part of this deal, sources said, as it had been in previous talks Van Natta has had with News Corp. about other digital jobs.

Previous to Facebook, Van Natta worked at Amazon (AMZN) in a number of capacities.

Finally, Owen Van Natta is about to win out over a founder.

The former Facebook COO (pictured here) is poised to become the CEO of MySpace, replacing co-founder and current CEO Chris DeWolfe.

DeWolfe will likely get a title as a special adviser to MySpace in a deal that is still coming together.

Settling all the specifics could take at least a day and there is always the possibility that this changing-of-the-guard deal could fall apart. But multiple sources close to the situation said it is more just a matter of ironing out the details.

Thus, the die seems cast for Van Natta to take over the thorny job of rehauling MySpace, which is owned by News Corp. (NWS).

(News Corp. also owns Dow Jones, which owns this Web site).

In a post this morning, MediaMemo was the first to name Van Natta as the only candidate in the running to take over as leader of MySpace.

It’s familiar territory for him.

Van Natta never got the big job at Facebook, which is under the firm control of founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

But Van Natta–who got to Facebook in its early days after stints at various companies, including Amazon (AMZN)–was a key early player in making the social-networking site into the juggernaut it is today.

He played a large role in its advertising and investment deals with Microsoft (MSFT), for example, as well as in hiring many of its current execs.

But, like many at Facebook, Van Natta left Facebook in early 2008 under tense circumstances, although he now is on good terms with Zuckerberg and others at Facebook.

Maybe not any longer.

In a delicious digital irony, he will be taking on Facebook head on, as MySpace–once the momentum player in the space–tries to regain its step against Facebook.

Van Natta is currently CEO of music start-up Project Playlist and it is not yet clear what will happen there. When he was previously talking to MySpace about running its music site, there was speculation that it might buy the start-up.

Today’s developments have happened quickly and without a lot of advance planning.

The talks to complete this deal are being led by new digital boss Jon Miller (pictured here), who came to News Corp. last month.

News Corp. officials declined to comment on the developing situation.

But sources said that Miller hadn’t been planning on getting rid of DeWolfe in the near future, and until yesterday, he was still evaluating his options.

News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch had once treated DeWolfe as a favorite and gave him significant autonomy at MySpace.

But Murdoch, who brought Miller on, has been leaning toward a change in leadership as MySpace’s traffic has stagnated and its buzz and momentum have moved to Facebook.

Under DeWolfe, many have felt it has dropped the ball on innovation and in making key improvements to its technology and features.

Worst of all, MySpace’s lucrative $900 million search advertising deal with Google (GOOG) is also coming to an end, a deal that essentially paid for the News Corp. acquisition.

Recently, several key execs have left too, including COO Amit Kapur.

In general, the social-networking giant has had an air of decline about it, despite its still-enormous size.

Nonetheless, Murdoch had left the decision about the site’s leadership to Miller, his new hire, sources said.

Miller had been talking to many and was indeed leaning toward putting a new CEO in place, but not in this fashion. He had hoped to work out the transition with DeWolfe, said several sources.

Miller himself had been badly treated, when Time Warner (TWX) dumped him as CEO of AOL several years ago. Ironically, the media giant just ousted the execs who ousted Miller.

But Miller’s options narrowed last night, once TechCrunch ran a story claiming that News Corp. had hired a headhunting firm to “scour for possible replacements” for DeWolfe.

News Corp. hadn’t actually hired a headhunter at all, but the story spooked DeWolfe into calling Miller to ask what his plans were. That conversation led to today’s negotiations.

Van Natta is well known at News Corp. and was, at one point, the leading candidate to head up MySpace Music, which launched last fall, and the two sides held extensive conversations.

But Van Natta did not like the job’s org chart: Rather than a standalone company, MySpace Music is simply a unit of MySpace, reporting to DeWolfe.

MTV executive Courtney Holt eventually took the job.

Van Natta is intertwined with MySpace in other ways.

Project Playlist, the free music-streaming site he took over last fall, has seen traffic plummet after MySpace, along with Facebook, cut off the sites’ access to their users, a move prompted by lawsuits from several major music companies.

Van Natta has made some headway at extracting the company from its legal mess, which predated his hiring, and he has hammered out a settlement with EMI Music Group.

But Playlist is still being sued by other music labels.

And, even music sites that aren’t in legal trouble are struggling to keep their heads above water.

Thus, plenty of Silicon Valley watchers–including BoomTown, who calls Van Natta periodically to ask why he seemed to enjoyed the pain of running an online music business–have wondered why Van Natta landed at Playlist in the first place, and have speculated that he has been looking for a way out.

He has been on the short list for many big Web jobs at places like Microsoft and other Silicon Valley start-ups, but has not bitten until now.

Another Goog-Bye.

Sukhinder Singh Cassidy (pictured here), president of Google’s Asia-Pacific and Latin American operations, is leaving the search giant and joining Silicon Valley venture firm Accel Partners as a CEO-in-residence.

Singh Cassidy, 39, is one of Google’s more visible execs and also one of its highest-ranking women leaders. She has been at Google (GOOG) since 2003.

Previous to that, she was at Yodlee, an online banking start-up, which was backed by Accel–along with stints at Amazon (AMZN) and OpenTV (OPTV).

She is also the second top Google exec to depart the company recently. Tim Armstrong, president of the Americas and a top advertising SVP, left the company a month ago to become CEO and chairman of Time Warner (TWX) online unit AOL.

While any executive exodus from Google is much noticed, especially in such close proximity, the moves by both are probably not too surprising, given that the powerful company–as it matures–has limited avenues for its typically ambitious managers.

It was well known that Armstrong had long wanted to have the top job at a company and that Singh Cassidy is a longtime entrepreneur with higher goals.

Singh Cassidy said as much in an interview with BoomTown last night.

“I was at the end of my streak [at Google] and ready to take the next step and run or grow my own company,” she said. “It is key for me to be stepping out and spreading my wings now.”

Where Singh Cassidy will fly to next is not determined yet, she said, but it will be in the consumer Internet space, she said, although it could be at a start-up or a more established company.

“I think what I was known for at Google was scaling for growth opportunities and I am interested in finding a company with a lot of momentum and need for scale,” said Singh Cassidy.

(Helloooo, Twitter?!? Here’s a way to get a little bit of Googley management without, you know, actually selling out to Google.)

Google CEO and Chairman Eric Schmidt said in a statement about Singh Cassidy’s departure:

“We are deeply grateful to Sukhinder for all that she has done for Google since she joined in 2003. She’s an ambitious, entrepreneurial executive who has a proven track record of building successful operations–most notably, developing Google’s advertising sales teams across Asia Pacific and Latin America. We wish her only the best as she pursues her passion to lead and run her own company.”

A place like Accel is often the first stop for consumer tech players like Singh Cassidy before heading out to another leadership job in the industry. It has backed companies like Facebook, Glam Media and many others.

Yahoo (YHOO) EVP Jeff Weiner, for example, was an executive-in-residence at both Accel Partners and Greylock Partners when he left the Internet giant last year before taking a job in December as president at business networking start-up LinkedIn, which is a Greylock investment.

Interestingly, the CEO-in-residence title is a unique one at Accel, which typically gives high-level exiting managers like Singh Cassidy that EIR title.

But that’s what Singh Cassidy is clearly aiming for. She said she was still sad to be departing Google, even as she was looking forward to the next chapter of her career.

“I am leaving a tremendous platform…but Google or any big company does not present the opportunities to pursue management prowess that you can only get as a CEO,” said Singh Cassidy. “I hope the next thing I jump into will have that and also be long and enduring.”

Here’s the entire Accel press release on Singh Cassidy:

Accel Partners Adds Google Executive Sukhinder Singh Cassidy as CEO-in-Residence

Sukhinder Singh Cassidy Brings Growth and Early Stage Experience to the Global Firm

PALO ALTO, CA, April 8, 2009–Accel Partners, a leading global venture and growth equity firm funding companies from inception through the growth stage, today announced the addition of Sukhinder Singh Cassidy as CEO-in-Residence. Ms. Singh Cassidy joins Accel from Google where she served most recently as President for Asia-Pacific (APAC) & Latin American Operations. In this role, she was responsible for all of Google’s commercial operations in both regions, and built the company’s presence from inception to its current scale serving users, advertisers and partners across 40 domains and 103 different countries throughout APAC and Latin America.

“Having already worked with the Accel team as a Google executive and an entrepreneur, I know first-hand Accel’s approach to engaging and supporting their companies,” said Ms. Singh Cassidy, Accel Partners. “Accel’s portfolio of category-transforming digital media companies such as AdMob, Etsy, Facebook, Glam Media, Kayak, and others creates a rich set of opportunities for marketplace dialog and new category creation.”

Ms. Singh Cassidy has a long-standing relationship with Accel having co-founded Accel-backed Yodlee, a leader in the internet financial application and online banking space. As CEO-In-Residence, Ms. Singh Cassidy will be evaluating new venture and growth equity opportunities in partnership with Accel in addition to working with companies in Accel’s digital media and advertising portfolio. “Sukhinder’s reputation as an entrepreneurial leader in both startups and Google are well known in the industry,” said Jim Breyer, Partner, Accel Partners. “We’re very pleased to have Sukhinder join the Accel team.”

“Sukhinder is the rare executive who has excelled both at founding internet companies as well as running a multi-billion dollar business within Google,” said Theresia Gouw Ranzetta, Partner, Accel Partners. “Her experience will be a real asset for both Accel’s early stage and growth franchise.”

“Sukhinder is a world-class Internet executive,” said Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and former Google colleague of Ms. Singh Cassidy. “It will be great to be working together again as part of the Accel family.”

Prior to running Asia Pacific and Latin America, Ms. Singh Cassidy joined Google in 2003 as the first General Manager for Google Local & Maps, helping to launch these innovative new services, then expanding her responsibilities to lead the company’s strategic partnerships for Google Books, Scholar, and Video. From 1999-2003, Ms. Singh Cassidy was Co-founder and Senior Vice President of Business Development for Yodlee.com Inc., a leading solutions provider to the global financial services industry. Ms Singh Cassidy started her Internet career in strategy and business development, working for Amazon.com and interactive TV provider OpenTV. For her work in the Internet industry, Ms. Singh Cassidy has been profiled in numerous publications globally, including Fortune, Business Week, Canada Post, India Today, and the book, Innovation Nation, profiling Canada’s most innovative business leaders.

In addition to Accel’s continued investments in early-stage startups from the Accel X early stage fund, Accel announced its $480 million growth fund in December of 2008. This fund will focus on growth equity opportunities across a broad range of sectors, including: information technology, internet, digital media, mobile, networking, software, and services. As with Accel’s early-stage efforts, Accel Growth Fund will play an active role in helping entrepreneurs and management teams build category-defining, global businesses.

About Accel Partners

Founded in 1983, Accel Partners has a long history of excellence and innovation in the global venture and growth equity business. It is dedicated to partnering with outstanding entrepreneurs and management teams to build world-class companies, from inception through growth. Accel today invests globally using dedicated teams and market-specific strategies for local geographies, with offices in Palo Alto, California; London, UK; and Bangalore, India; as well as in China via the IDG-Accel Partnership.

With over $6 billion under management, Accel has helped entrepreneurs build over 300 successful category-defining companies including: Actuate, Alfresco, AMCC, Arrowpoint, Baidu, BBN, Brightcove, ComScore, Etsy, Facebook, Focus Media, Foundry Networks, Gameforge, Glam Media, Imperva, Infinera, Interwoven, JBoss, Kayak, Macromedia, metroPCS, Mu Sigma, Polycom/PictureTel, Portal Software, QlikTech, Rapt, Real Networks, Redback Networks, Riverbed, Sohu.com, UUNet, Veritas, Walmart.com, Webroot, XenSource, and Zimbra. For more information, visit the Accel Partners web site at www.accel.com.

Please see this disclosure related to me and Google.

Misguided managers, Luddite corporate raiders, a dramatic hostile takeover from a software giant, a revolving door of employees, a dash of Internet moolah and a tough-talking lady CEO to the rescue! And even some Googzilla action thrown in for good measure.

Of course, it has all the elements of a good story for Vanity Fair magazine!

Actually, Yahoo (YHOO) has all the elements of a good Mexican telenovela, but it’s only a magazine article that is apparently in the cards to chronicle the stumbles and bumbles of the Internet giant.

According to sources at both Microsoft (MSFT) and Yahoo, well-known Silicon Valley scribe and author Alan Deutschman has contacted the companies about a piece he is doing about the company–and, presumably, its tangles with various Web powers like Google (GOOG) and Microsoft–for the Condé Nast-owned Vanity Fair.

BoomTown’s efforts to contact Deutschman to find out the particulars were, alas, unreturned as yet.

But it goes without saying that our site’s huge archive on Yahoo’s hijinks–with much more to come soon, including memos I tag with secret codes too, much as sources tell me Yahoo does these days under new CEO Carol Bartz to prevent leaks–is free of charge to him for research.

Until then, here is my personal favorite Yahoo-related video about the awkward dinner former CEO and co-founder Jerry Yang finally had with me after a year of haranguing:

In a back-to-the-future move, former Netscape CFO Peter Currie will be the key adviser to Facebook about financial matters, until a new CFO is found, sources said.

The temporary move puts a well-known and well-liked Silicon Valley figure in place at the company at what is surely a tumultuous moment. Currie has most recently been a venture investor.

Today, Facebook parted ways with its CFO, Gideon Yu, saying it was prepping for an eventual IPO.

But others sources at the company said Yu and Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg had had intensifying differences in recent weeks over a range of issues.

In Currie, Zuckerberg gets a seasoned tech exec, with deep ties in the sector. He serves on the board of Sun Microsystems (JAVA), one of many such seats he has held at tech companies.

And, perhaps most significant of all, Currie is very close with Facebook board member and Netscape Communications co-founder Marc Andreessen. Sources said Andreessen was also influential in the decision related to Yu leaving his job.