Mari Walden, EVP and president of global media at Verizon, is leaving the company in February of 2018.
At the end of this year Walden will move into a strategic role until her departure in February, according to Verizon. Recently Walden has been working on Verizon’s planned streaming TV service, which has yet to launch, and previously played a role in the acquisition of Yahoo and creation of Oath.
Oath CEO Tim Armstrong will now report directly to Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam, and continue to lead the Oath unit. The telematics division will report to EVP and President of Global Operations John Stratton.
“Marni helped build our wireless business, starting as a sales representative in a store, and grew into an inspirational leader and role model for so many at Verizon,” McAdam comments in a statement. “She has most recently spearheaded Verizon’s entry into global digital media and telematics and will leave us in a strong competitive position.”
The announcement of Walden’s departure comes days after revelations that Yahoo’s previously reported data breach exposed billions more users than initially indicated. This week Yahoo bumped the number of affected accounts to include all 3 billion accounts, rather than the initial 1 billion figure.
“Verizon is committed to the highest standards of accountability and transparency, and we proactively work to ensure the safety and security of our users and networks in an evolving landscape of online threats,” Verizon’s Chief Information Security Officer Chandra McMahon commented in a statement. “Our investment in Yahoo is allowing that team to continue to take significant steps to enhance their security, as well as benefit from Verizon’s experience and resources.”