It’s hard to avoid the nesting dolls analogy when looking at the new Yahoo although it’s probably best to avoid the vision of various Yahoo execs on the face of the dolls. Of the permutations I’ve seen so far, the most intriguing may well be the one that includes YMG. Jeff Weiner, now SVP-search, will have what looks like the largest portfolio within the new Audience division, heading the Yahoo Network Group: Search, Social Media (finally being brought together under one roof), Yahoo Media Group (Scott Moore, Yahoo Music head Dave Goldberg, Vince Broady), and most of the functions from Brad Garlinghouse Communications, Communities, and Front Doors group. I’ve been told it will be up to him to select a new head of YMG; possible candidates are Moore, who currently holds the most responsibility in the group, or newcomer Vince Broady (suggested to me externally by as a Braun successor under the old structure), and the always possible door #3 as in an outsider. (I’m not discounting Goldberg but his name doesn’t pop up the same way.) Weiner also could keep them as direct reports or the group itself could wind up reorganized.
But will Weiner stay? I’ve already heard from people inside and out speculating over his bypass for head of the whole unit and suggesting that he will leave, especially when an outsider comes in to head Audience. But a Yahoo spokeswoman expressed surprise that the idea would even come up, telling me Weiner’s energized and rolling up his sleeves as the internal discussions about how the next layers are structured get underway. He’s also focused on the Panama rollout, she stressed.
-- Wither Garlinghouse, whose “Peanut Butter Manifesto” may be getting more credit than deserved? As of Jan. 1, he reports to Jeff Weiner although the FT describes him as being left in “limbo.” CEO Terry Semel: “I don’t fault people for speaking up, it’s part of our culture. He’s a very valued employee.” But he wouldn’t identify a specific role.
-- On another note, Yahoo has a lot of educating to do for current partners and prospective ones. I spent some time today trying to explain the Audience unit to one savvy media exec at a company I believe Yahoo would like to partner with and I’m still not sure he bought it.