Silicon Valley received a huge surprise yesterday when Google executive Marissa Mayer was named Yahoo’s new CEO.
Mayer was previously an engineer, designer and product manager for the search engine giant. Her illustrious career with Google only made her appointment even more shocking, as Yahoo! Inc. has been floundering somewhat during these last few years.
The ex-Google executive reportedly resigned from the search engine giant via phone on Monday to take up her new position.
While Yahoo! is still one of the largest websites in the United States, it has gradually lost ground in recent years to bigger search engines and social media platforms. Mayer’s appointment has ignited debate as to whether or not she can turn Yahoo’s fortunes around, with many citing her background in engineering and experience on Google’s board as strong points.
Amidst all the surprised reactions, Mayer tweeted about how “excited” she was to be starting at Yahoo!.
Mayer leaves behind a 13-year legacy at Google where she oversaw the design of some of Google’s most widely-used products, namely the Google Home page and the site’s maps and location services. Â
Her new role as Yahoo’s CEO will also make her the youngest CEO on the Fortune 500 list, as she is 37-years-old.