SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Yahoo chief executive Carol Bartz, left, echoed the turnaround promises of her predecessors Thursday as she presided over the first shareholder meeting since her hiring, yet she left little doubt that the slumping Internet company’s new boss isn’t the same as the old bosses.
Like Terry Semel did in 2007 and Jerry Yang again last year, Bartz assured shareholders she will polish Yahoo’s tarnished brand and end a three-year financial funk that has depressed the Sunnyvale-based company’s stock. But her message resonated with more flair and spunk than the more circumspect styles of Semel and Yang.
During the question-and-answer session, Bartz often gave blunt responses. She concurred with a shareholder who complained about Yahoo posting too many entertainment stories on the front page of its website. “If I see another Britney Spears thing, I am going to throw up,” she said. As part of a makeover of Yahoo’s home page this fall, Bartz indicated the company might include a “fluff-o-meter” to let Web surfers signal whether they want more hard-hitting news. The Associated Press
