SAN FRANCISCO: Yahoo! Inc. director Patti Hart plans to leave the board of the biggest US web portal amid questions over her role in hiring Chief Executive Officer Scott Thompson.
Hart said she won’t seek re-election to the board, citing her duties as CEO of International Game Technology. She was asked by that company’s board to step back from Yahoo because her work there could become a distraction, according to a statement from Hart and Chairman Philip Satre. Hart was a member of the Yahoo committee responsible for hiring Thompson, whose biography falsely stated he held a degree in computer science.
“It has been my privilege to serve Yahoo stockholders,” Hart said in the statement. “However, my primary responsibilities are to serve as chief executive officer of IGT and to eliminate activities that may interfere with my ability to carry out my commitments to IGT and its valued stakeholders.”
Yahoo investor Third Point LLC has stepped up pressure for Thompson’s ouster after disclosing the discrepancy in his credentials last week, prompting the board to embark on a review of the matter.
The fallout marks a setback for Thompson, who joined from EBay Inc. in January and is attempting to revive Yahoo’s growth. He replaced Carol Bartz, who was dismissed in September amid falling sales and market-share losses to Google Inc. and Facebook Inc. (t05)
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