Where in the World is Yahoo's Jerry Yang?

by: Michael Arrington posted on: June 22, 2008 | about stocks: YHOO    
  • Font Size:
  • Print

People have been wondering about Jerry Yang all week. He’s been quiet since the NYTimes article calling for his head was published last weekend.

This isn’t an issue of him simply being out of town. He was in Washington D.C. on Wednesday meeting with Congressional members (Sen. Herb Kohl (D., Wis.), Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin (D., Ill.) and Rep. Edward Markey (D., Mass)) who had a few questions for him on the Google search deal.

The real issue, according to our sources: Yang hasn’t been leading the company over the last week, and some key executives have complained that they don’t know exactly where he is, and say that he isn’t answering calls or emails.

President Sue Decker is clearly in charge of the day-to-day operations of the company, but has remained silent over the last week amid mass executive defections and reports of a looming reorganization.

Our sources say that the state of things at Yahoo can best be described as chaos, as rank and file employees have little information beyond what’s being published in the press.

Official silence is not going to fix the situation, nor will an executive reorganization that will be seen as yet another rearrangement of the deck chairs on the Titantic.

Not all of the news at Yahoo is bad. Some terrible decisions have been made, but the company is still profitable and has assets. What the company needs more than anything right now is leadership. Even if it is interim leadership during the company’s discussions with possible new CEOs.

Yang needs to speak to his customers and employees in a straightforward manner about what’s happening at Yahoo and what’s happening next. This may not be his strong point, but he must come out from the bunker to try to rally his remaining troops, while he still has some.

Original post

This article has 3 comments! Add yours below...

Michael Arrington

About this author: By this author:
Become a Contributor Submit an Article

This article has 3 comments:

  •  
    lakeside
    Jun 22 10:50 AM
    For investors and traders, we have moved on. Anyone investing in YHOO now mus like to live in the house of pain. We've moved on. These articles provide comic relief but as serious investment articles go, ....
  •  
    marketwatchr
    Jun 22 11:43 AM
    My Website
    Yang should be ashamed for his action as should Bostick. This company has less that 5% chance to be independent for 12 months. Yang's ego played into the hands of GOOG. Goog has effectively eliminated one ....maybe 2 from the chase. As far as congress, they have no clue. Yang hasn't been leading this company for months .
  •  
    usbworks
    Jun 23 12:47 AM
    I'm so sick of reading the belly aching crap from greedy little investors who obviously weren't watching the market. Any smart investor would have sold Yahoo for a decent profit at $27.50. Instead these market watchers were deaf, dumb and blind when Microsoft repeatedly said they were not interested in Yahoo any longer.
Loading...
Symbols:
Authors:
Quick Links:

ETFs In Focus

  • Long Ideas

  • Short Ideas

  • Cramer's Picks