Carol Bartz, whom Yahoo (NSDQ: YHOO) has confirmed as its new CEO, will preside over a downsized, demasculated Yahoo in Europe, where Google’s lead is even greater and the mood is downbeat following a prolonged period of instability. Some thoughts heading to Bartz’s inbox from our side of the pond…
— Can she stop the executive merrygoround?: The outfit had already endured a management exodus in the last couple of years, turning over its European MD, search and search VPs, UK MD and a host of sales and marketing bosses before Yahoo’s most recent travails hit. Toby Coppel replaced Dominique Vidal at head of the pack in April 2007 but was due to leave this quarter to be succeeded by Rich Riley.
— Are the sell-offs and layoffs over?: Forced to close operations and shed staff during Microsoft’s courtship, Yahoo last year began moving its European HQ from London to cheaper Geneva. In what is an 18-month operation to shrink the outfit, it has been closing offices in Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Oslo, and Copenhagen.
Products aren’t escaping the cuts – in the most embarrassing example, it offloaded France-based shopping comparison site Kelkoo to a little-known UK private equity player for under