executives

Yahoo finally searching for new board members, WSJ reports

Yahoo has reportedly hired an executive search firm to find possible replacements for several members of its much-criticized board of directors.

The Wall Street Journal reported today that the Web giant has hired Heidrick & Struggles to help it identify "several new board candidates" who could replace long-term directors that have served on Yahoo's board. The board has faced biting criticism in recent years for rejecting a lucrative takeover bid from Microsoft in 2008, as well as for its hiring--and then its ham-handed firing--of former chief executive Carol Bartz.

The Journal reported that board member Patti Hart … Read more

Sony names Kazuo Hirai president; Stringer remains CEO--report

Sony veteran Kazuo Hirai will be the company's next president, Japan's Nikkei business daily reported.

Current CEO Howard Stringer will remain the chairman and CEO of the company, the report says. The executive shuffle, which CNET has not yet confirmed with Sony, is said to be finalized sometime this month, with Hirai taking the post in April.

Hirai became the chairman of Sony's Computer Entertainment group in June of last year, taking over the spot previously held by Andrew House. Prior to that--in March--he was named as president of Sony's entire consumer business.

Hirai has been … Read more

Time Warner chief touts TV Everywhere; disses Netflix again

Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes is committed to talking up his company's digital strategy, but he just can't help himself from hurling insults at Netflix whenever the topic comes up.

Speaking to the Financial Times in an interview published yesterday, Bewkes spent much of his time focusing on TV Everywhere, an effort spearheaded by his company to bring television programming to more form factors. He also responded to critics who say that it has taken too long for content providers to offer their programming on various services and devices.

TV Everywhere is "the fastest digital roll-out, faster … Read more

Apple looking for a few good cloud execs?

Apple is seeking to ramp up its cloud leadership as the company puts a greater emphasis on how customers store and access their data.

The company is looking to recruit executives with backgrounds in Web-based software, according to a Wall Street Journal report tonight. One prominent Internet entrepreneur has already been approached and recruiters have been briefed on the company's needs, people familiar with the matter told the Journal.

The talent search comes on the heels of Apple's launch of iTunes Match, a cloud feature that stores music tracks in the cloud and makes them available on any … Read more

RIM management has to go before it's too late

Research in Motion shares are now trading below book value and the previous argument for not tossing co-CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie to the curb revolved around disruption.

Here's what Balsillie said June 16 on RIM's fiscal first-quarter earnings conference call:

Mike and I would like to address some of the concerns that have been expressed in the media and analyst community surrounding the executive management structure at RIM and particularly about the joint nature of our leadership. Mike and I have been partners in this business for almost 20 years, and over that time RIM has … Read more

AOL exec jumps ship to Spotify, report says

AOL has lost one of the top executives to music-streaming service Spotify, All Things Digital is reporting today.

According to All Things Digital, Jared Grusd, AOL's senior vice president for business development and chief of strategy, has left the company to pursue an unspecified role at Spotify. Although All Things Digital wasn't able to nail down what position he'll take on, its sources say that it's a "high-level position in New York."

After making a name for itself in Europe, Spotify made its U.S. debut in July.

As Grusd reportedly pursues a new … Read more

First Solar ousts CEO, shares dive 24 percent

First Solar's board of directors ousted the solar company's chief executive, Rob Gillette, replacing him on an interim basis with Chairman Mike Ahearn while it searches for a permanent replacement.

Shares in the world's most valuable solar company plummeted more than 24 percent to $43.71--its lowest level since March of 2007--following the unexpected Tuesday announcement.

"It's an absolute and total surprise," said Mark Bachman, an analyst with Avian Securities LLC.

The U.S. solar company said in a brief statement that its board of directors has asked Ahearn to serve as temporary CEO … Read more

iTunes chief Eddy Cue promoted to Apple SVP

Apple has promoted its iTunes chief, Eddy Cue, to senior vice president for Internet software and services.

In his new role, Cue will oversee Apple's iTunes Store, as well as iCloud, iAd, and its iBookstore platform, according to his biography page on Apple's Web site. He will report to the company's new CEO, Tim Cook.

A 22-year veteran at Apple, Eddy has been instrumental in the development of some of the company's most successful products. According to his biography, Cue helped create Apple's online store in 1998, and followed that up with the development of the iTunes Music Store in 2003. He also had "major" involvement in the creation of the company's App Store in 2008.

Cue's promotion is the latest shakeup in Apple's management. Last week, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs announced that he was resigning as CEO. Jobs recommended that the board appoint his COO, Tim Cook, as the new chief executive.… Read more

Diskeeper 2011 defrags with ease

Diskeeper 2011 automatically takes care of hard-disk fragmentation as it occurs, making the manual defragmenters we're all accustomed to a thing of the past. For any Windows users experiencing a lag in hard-disk performance, this hassle-free tool is a fantastic option.

Shortly after installation, Diskeeper analyzes all the volumes on your computer. The data it collects is used as a baseline for the Performance Reports it generates from that point on. These reports let you know how many fragments the program has eliminated as well as how, exactly, it has improved your PC's performance. While most users won'… Read more

Skype firing execs before Microsoft merger?

Skype, the Internet phone giant recently purchased by Microsoft, is firing senior executives ahead of the deal's closure, a move that reduces their payout, Bloomberg reports.

Four vice presidents, the company's chief marketing officer and human resources chief were among those dismissed from the Luxembourg-based company, according to the report, which cited sources who requested anonymity because the departures weren't made public. The report also named two other executives from a recent acquisition who were let go.

"As part of a recent internal shift, Skype has made some management changes," Skype spokesman Brian O'Shaughnessy … Read more