Will she stay or will she go? It seems we finally have an answer – or at least a strong hint – to Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer’s post-AOL merger fate courtesy of a memo from AOL CEO Tim Armstrong sent to staff this week.
In the note, originally posted by Recode on Thursday, Armstrong outlined the leadership team for Oath after Verizon’s deal with Yahoo closes in the near future. Noticeably absent from that list was Mayer. In fact, not many other Yahoo execs made the cut either.
Out of 13 leadership positions included in the memo, only a handful were Yahoo carryovers. They include Jeff Bonforte, who will be Oath’s head of communications, data, and search; Atte Lahtiranta as leader of technology; Simon Khalaf at the helm of media brands and products; and John DeVine, who will take the reins for global sales and customer operations. Additionally, Armstrong indicated Rose Tsou, the current Yahoo head of Asia-Pacific, will lead Oath’s combined APAC operations.
According to Armstrong, the 13-strong leadership team was chosen based on talent and technology and brand savvy.
Armstrong said Lahtiranta will work with David Filo, Jay Rossiter, Laurie Mann, and Bill Pence to “design and create an expanded tech council that, starting at close, will review all aspects of the company and implement technology enabled solutions as well as global technical standards.” That, of course, is part of a broader three-pronged strategy outlined by Armstrong for Oath to build global brands people love, brand platforms partners love, and a company talent loves.
Despite not making the list, Mayer has no reason to be blue. The company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission indicate she stands to gain a whopping $187 million on her departure, including around $85 million in stock options, $77 million in Yahoo shares, and restricted stock units valued at around $25 million, the Wall Street Journal reported.