Yahoo's Ross Levinsohn leaves as Marissa Mayer becomes CEO
Interim CEO departs, now Google's Mayer is hired for the permanent post
By Stephen Lawson | IDG News Service | Published 10:12, 31 July 12
Ross Levinsohn, who served as Yahoo's interim CEO for about two months until the company hired former Google executive Marissa Mayer on 16 July, will leave the company today.
Levinsohn took over Yahoo in May during one of the darkest moments in the legendary Internet company's history. It had just lost its latest CEO, Scott Thompson, amid a scandal involving incorrect information on Thompson's CV. Thompson had been hired in January as Yahoo's third CEO in just over three years.
But Levinsohn was not picked to take over the job permanently. Instead, during his brief tenure as interim CEO, Yahoo searched for and found its next permanent leader in Mayer. The former Google executive has been widely called a strong choice to revive the ailing company.
After Levinsohn had been passed over for the spot, his resignation was not considered a surprise. His last day on the job will be Tuesday, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing made on Monday.
Levinsohn joined Yahoo in October 2010 and was head of the company's global media division. His background was in the media industry, including a stint at News Corp.
