Following the Semel-Yang switcheroo, many of us wondered if there would be a lot more changeups among Yahoo’s leaders. There weren’t. But Maggie Wilderotter, formerly a senior vice president of Microsoft, has now joined the Yahoo Board of Directors.
Yang himself commented on the move in a press release. “With more than 25 years of experience in telephone, wireless, cable television, computers and interactive media, Maggie’s broad range of leadership qualifications and proven track record make her an extremely valuable addition to our team,” the CEO stated.
Yang then continued, “Her unique and in-depth understanding of consumers, business, and technology will make her instrumental in helping to provide valuable insight for Yahoo!’s key initiatives across the entire organization.”
Yeah, yeah, I know – in press releases, everybody is great and every company is wonderful. But Wilderotter really does have an impressive track record; aside from that position at Microsoft, she’s worked as “executive vice president of national operations for AT&T Wireless Services Inc. and chief executive officer of AT&T’s Aviation Communications Division,” and also as president and CEO of Wink Communications.
Yahoo’s had some problems in recent days – from security flaws, to slow and malfunctioning websites, to poor earnings, it’s hit all the wrong marks. It would be ludicrous to expect any one personnel change to overturn that trend, but Wilderotter could at least help create an upturn.
