Yahoo Confirms That Moore Is Leaving; Picks Up MSN Vet Dossett To Head U.S. Audiences

Yahoo's confirmation that Scott Moore is leaving is about to cross the wires, included in the news that Jeff Dossett is joining the company as SVP-U.S. Audience.  Dossett—who, like Moore, comes to Yahoo (NSDQ: YHOO) from MSN—will "fill the role previously held by Scott Moore who is leaving Yahoo! to pursue other opportunities." Full memo after the jump.

Yahoo rarely seems to fill a major slot at the same time as it's vacated so this should be an improvement for those used to vacuums. Dossett's departure from Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT), where he was executive producer and general manager for the MSN Media Network, for Yahoo was reported as "likely" by Kara in September—and denied by both companies. He worked closely with Joanne Bradford at MSN Media; she is now at Yahoo after a pit stop at Spot Runner.

Dossett will report to Hilary Schneider, EVP-Yahoo U.S. She had some kind words for Moore—"Yahoo! enjoys an extraordinary market position across nearly every category in which we compete, and Scott has been an important leader in building this success." Dossett's task will be maintaining or improving those market positions following Yahoo's promised staff cuts of 1,500 and possibly while integrating Yahoo's content with AOL (NYSE: TWX) should that deal ever become reality. This is where I throw in the obligatory mention of Dossett's coolest achievement as an example of his ability to tough it out: scaling the "Seven Summits" during a two-year sabbatical from Microsoft earlier this decade.

More to come.

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Nov. 3, 2008—Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO) today announced that Jeff Dossett has joined Yahoo! as senior vice president, U.S. Audience.  Dossett will oversee Yahoo!'s consumer experiences in the U.S., including the company's leading media properties, which maintain the number one or two position in virtually every category in which they compete.  Dossett will report to Hilary Schneider, executive vice president of Yahoo! U.S., and fill the role previously held by Scott Moore who is leaving Yahoo! to pursue other opportunities. 

"Jeff is one of the country's most experienced online media executives, and I'm confident he is well-suited to lead Yahoo!'s audience business to even greater heights," said Schneider.  "His understanding of consumer needs and high-quality premium programming will help ensure that we continue with Yahoo!'s reputation of inspiring audiences and attracting marketer dollars."

Schneider continued, "I would also like to thank Scott for his leadership over the past few years.  Yahoo! enjoys an extraordinary market position across nearly every category in which we compete, and Scott has been an important leader in building this success."

Prior to joining Yahoo!, Dossett served as executive producer and general manager for the MSN Media Network, where he was responsible for leading strategy and execution for MSN's audience, content and programming in the U.S.  Dossett joined MSN in 2000, and held a variety of leadership positions, including Chairman and CEO of MSN Carpoint® (now MSN Autos), DealerPoint and general manager of MSN HomeAdvisor® (now MSN Real Estate & MSN Lifestyle).  Dossett originally joined Microsoft in 1991.

"Over the past few months alone, major events such as the Olympics, the financial crisis, and the US election have helped illustrate that - more than ever - Yahoo! is the one of the first places consumers turn for information that matters to them most," said Dossett.  "I'm impressed by the unique market position that Yahoo! has created for itself, and I can't wait to work with this team and build on this tremendous opportunity."

In 2002, Dossett took two years away from his career at Microsoft to pursue his passion for adventure with a goal to climb the highest mountain on each of the seven continents, known as the "Seven Summits". Reaching the summit of Mount Everest on May 24, 2004, Dossett became the third Canadian in history to successfully complete the Seven Summits.  On May 22nd, 2008, Jeff became the second Canadian in history to reach the summit Mount Everest for the second time.  He serves on the Board of Advisors of VillageReach (http://www.villagereach.org), GOOD Worldwide Inc. (http://www.good.is), and Live Mocha (http://www.livemocha.com).  Dossett holds a degree in business administration with honors from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario in Canada. 

Related

• Yahoo Media Group Shakeup: Scott Moore and Alan Warms To Leave, Report Says
• Earnings: Yahoo Will Cut Staff By At Least 10 Percent During Q4; Hoping To Save $400 Million
• Yahoo Planning Major Job Cuts; Could Be Above Thousand
• Yahoo Reorgs Connected Life Division; Next Phase Focused On Making Money On Mobile

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