Yahoo Nabs Google Vet Marissa Mayer as CEO

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It's a deal virtually no one saw coming: Yahoo has hired Marissa Mayer, one of Google's top executives, as its next president and CEO. It's not everyday someone leaves the employ of Google for Yahoo - especially at the highest level.

The 37-year-old Mayer was the 20th employee hired at Google and most recently served as VP in charge of local, maps and location services. She was the first female engineer at Google and has worked there for the past 13 years.

"I am honored and delighted to lead Yahoo, one of the internet's premier destinations for more than 700 million users. I look forward to working with the company's dedicated employees to bring innovative products, content, and personalized experiences to users and advertisers all around the world," noted Mayer in a prepared statement.

"Yahoo's products will continue to enhance our partnerships with advertisers, technology and media companies, while inspiring and delighting our users. There is a lot to do and I can't wait to get started."

Mayer will become the fifth CEO at Yahoo in as many years, assuming a role that has dogged many well-known executives and put Yahoo in an extended period of uncertainty.

Yahoo's most recent CEO Scott Thompson was forced to resign only four months into the job after an investor informed Yahoo's board of directors that he had lied about his academic credentials. The timing of Mayer's hire could provide Yahoo with a quick and early boost tomorrow when it announces its second-quarter earnings.

Mayer earned a bachelor's degree in symbolic systems and a master's degree in computer science from Stanford University. She also holds patents in artificial intelligence and interface design. Mayer formally begins her tenure at Yahoo tomorrow.