AOL has tapped former Yahoo executive Brad Garlinghouse for a key position as president of its Web and mobile communications group. Garlinghouse, 38, is best known for calling attention to significant problems at Yahoo in a 2006 internal memo that was referred to as the “peanut butter manifesto” because it argued the Internet company had spread itself too thin, said the Associated Press report. However, he was most recently working as an advisor at venture capital firm Silver Lake Partners, Since then, Yahoo has changed CEOs twice as it has tried to nail down the best formula for keeping chase with Google. Its latest leader, Carol Bartz, was hired partly to sharpen the company’s focus, and recently sealed a search-advertising pact with Microsoft Corp. Though AOL — which is getting ready to be spun off from Time Warner — is based in New York, Garlinghouse will work from the company’s offices in Mountain View, California, where AOL’s e-mail operations are based. He will be responsible for increasing the use of AOL’s e-mail, instant messaging and mobile offerings. He also will be expected to help AOL identify West Coast startups to invest in. AOL CEO Tim Armstrong, a former Google Inc. executive who joined the company in April, said Garlinghouse was hired because he is “deeply steeped” in the Internet.
Ex-Yahoo Exec Garlinghouse to Join AOL
Garlinghouse, 38, is best known for calling attention to significant problems at Yahoo in a 2006 internal memo that was referred to as the “peanut butter manifesto” because it argued the Internet company had spread itself too thin.
September 8, 2009