Yahoo!: Exec gets a shakeup and brand gets a shine

New chief executive Carol Bartz has reorganised Yahoo! in an attempt to make the internet pioneer faster, simpler and more responsive to those who use its services.

Bartz said in a blog post Thursday: "Today I'm rolling out a new management structure that I believe will make Yahoo! a lot faster on its feet."

"For us working at Yahoo!, it means everything gets simpler. We'll be able to make speedier decisions, the notorious silos are gone, and we have a renewed focus on the customer," Bartz said. "For you using Yahoo! every day, it will better enable us to deliver products that make you say, 'Wow.'"

In one change, chief financial officer Blake Jorgensen will leave the company as soon as a replacement is found, Yahoo! said.

The move is the first major one since Bartz took over the CEO role from co-founder Jerry Yang in January. The company has been struggling to become more competitive and profitable for years, and now faces that challenge during a very difficult economy.

In a regulatory filing, Yahoo! said: "The company has initiated a search for a new chief financial officer. Mr Jorgensen will remain with the company as its chief financial officer through a transition period."

Yahoo! has undergone plenty of reorganisations and in the past year, not to mention two major layoffs, but this time the changes are being driven by an assertive new CEO who brings fresh eyes to the challenge. And Bartz has no trouble expressing frustration with the molasses-like pace of change at Yahoo!.

Bartz said in the blog posting: "People here have impressed the hell out of me. They're smart, dedicated, passionate, driven, and really nice. There's so much great energy and frankly lots of optimism. But there's also plenty that has bogged this company down. For starters, you'd be amazed at how complicated some things are here."

To try to make sure Yahoo! personnel listen to outsiders as well as themselves, Bartz established a new customer advocacy group.

"I've noticed that a lot of us on the inside don't spend enough time looking to the outside. That's why I'm creating a new customer advocacy group. After getting a lot of angry calls at my office from frustrated customers, I realised we could do a better job of listening to and supporting you," she said.

Bartz also wants to buff Yahoo!'s brand.

"Mention Yahoo! practically anywhere in the world, and people yodel. But in the past few years, we haven't been as clear in showing the world what the Yahoo! brand stands for. We're going to change that. Look for this company's brand to kick ass again," Bartz said.

Original article: Bartz revamps Yahoo to get faster, simpler from CNET News.com