NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Yahoo, Inc. has announced the appointment of Jim Lanzone as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective September 27, 2021. Lanzone, a veteran technology and media executive with more than two decades of leadership experience and a deep track record of growth and innovation, will succeed Guru Gowrappan, who has been named Senior Advisor to Apollo’s private equity business.
“Jim has a remarkable track record of leading and growing innovative businesses in our industry, and we are thrilled to welcome him on board. With his experience and proven management skills, we are confident Jim is the right leader to steward Yahoo through a transformational new phase that can leverage the best of Yahoo’s platform and performance to reach new heights,” said Yahoo Chairman and Apollo Partner Reed Rayman. “We also want to thank Guru for his significant contributions to the company, passing the baton following three consecutive quarters of double-digit growth. We look forward to working with him in his new capacity as an advisor to Apollo.”
Lanzone joins Yahoo from Tinder, where he served as Chief Executive Officer. Prior to Tinder, Lanzone led the digital operations of CBS Corporation as Chief Digital Officer and Chief Executive Officer of CBS Interactive, where from 2011-2019 he oversaw the company’s 30+ digital media brands and drove the development of the company’s first major streaming services, including CBS All Access. Lanzone joined CBS after its acquisition of Clicker Media in 2011, where he was co-founder and CEO. From 2001 to 2008, he served in multiple executive roles at search engine Ask.com, including as CEO after the company’s acquisition by IAC/InterActiveCorp. Lanzone is also a member of the board of directors of GoPro.
“I am so honored to have the opportunity to lead Yahoo and represent such an iconic portfolio of brands as we enter a transformational new era for the company,” said Lanzone. “I look forward to working with the exceptionally talented Yahoo team, globally, as we create and innovate daily on behalf of our millions of users and advertising partners worldwide. With our unique assets, resources, and lineage, we are one of the few companies positioned to tap into the many new opportunities appearing in the categories where we’re strongest. I cannot wait to hit the ground running with the Yahoo leadership team and Apollo to help grow the business exponentially in the years ahead.”
Lanzone joins Yahoo as it looks to accelerate the growth of its iconic properties as a privately held company backed by Apollo. Yahoo will leverage Lanzone’s deep media experience to drive the next generation of innovation across its world-class content and advertising platforms. Yahoo intends to invest significantly in the user experience and develop exciting new offerings that can build on its premier brands in sports, finance, news, technology and more.
“I could not be prouder of the growth and all that our team has accomplished in the last three years under the Verizon brand,” said Gowrappan. “Now as a standalone company, Yahoo is well positioned to continue to capitalize on key expansion opportunities and I am confident that Jim, Apollo and the entire Yahoo team will work together seamlessly to build on this momentum.”
About Yahoo
Yahoo is a global media and tech company that connects people to their passions. We reach nearly 900 million people around the world, bringing them closer to what they love—from finance and sports, to shopping, gaming and news—with the trusted products, content and tech that fuel their day. For partners, we provide a full-stack platform for businesses to amplify growth and drive more meaningful connections across advertising, search and media. To learn more, please visit yahooinc.com
About Apollo
Apollo is a high-growth, global alternative asset manager. We seek to provide our clients excess return at every point along the risk-reward spectrum from investment grade to private equity with a focus on three business strategies: yield, hybrid and opportunistic. Through our investment activity across our fully integrated platform, we serve the retirement income and financial return needs of our clients, and we offer innovative capital solutions to businesses. Our patient, creative, knowledgeable approach to investing aligns our clients, businesses we invest in, our employees and the communities we impact, to expand opportunity and achieve positive outcomes. As of June 30, 2021, Apollo had approximately $472 billion assets under management. To learn more, please visit www.apollo.com.
