Yahoo CEO gives birth, plans to be back at work soon
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer gave birth to a boy late Sunday, casting a spotlight on her ability to steer the struggling Internet company in a new direction while adjusting to the challenges of being a first-time mother.
The birth came a week ahead of the Oct. 7 due date that Mayer shared with the public in July. She announced her pregnancy on her social networking accounts just a few hours after Yahoo hired her as its third full-time CEO in less than a year.
The pregnancy news amplified the buzz about Mayer’s defection from Google Inc., where she spent 13 years as a key executive overseeing some of the services that helped to drag down Yahoo.
Yahoo’s decision to anoint a soon-to-be mom as its CEO was hailed as a breakthrough for women seeking to prove men aren’t the only ones who can balance a high-powered executive lifestyle and early parenthood.
Although Yahoo’s website remains one of the Internet’s top destinations, the company’s revenue has fallen in recent years. At the same time, it fell behind online search leader Google Inc. and online social networking leader Facebook Inc. in the race to build compelling services and sell more advertising.
Mayer, 37, intends to work from home for a brief period and return to her office in Sunnyvale, Calif. in one to two weeks, a company spokeswoman said.