Europe Yahoo chief joins exodus

Another high-level Yahoo executive is leaving the troubled search company.

Toby Coppel is expected to announce Thursday that he is stepping down from his position as executive vice president and managing director of Europe and Canada, according to a report by AllThingsD's Kara Swisher. The departure has reportedly been in the works for months and is unrelated to the recent announcement that Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang is stepping down once a replacement is found.

Coppel told Swisher that he has no firm plans for the future, other than welcoming his third child into the world very soon.

"I have been transitioning our European business, restructuring it and making it stronger, as Yahoo is moving to product development on a global platform," Coppel told Swisher.

Coppel joined Yahoo in 2001 and had been running its European operations for the past 18 months.

The departure is the latest in a months-long exodus of executives from the troubled search company after its rejection of Microsoft's unfriendly attempt to acquire Yahoo. Last week, Microsoft announced that it had hired Yahoo search executive Sean Suchter to be general manager of its Silicon Valley Search Technology Center.

After reporting a 64 percent drop in net income and warning that the advertising market is softening, Yahoo announced in October a layoff of at least 1,430 by the end of 2008. The cut follows another in which about 1,000 Yahoo employees lost their jobs in February.

[websterphreaky]

Jerry Yang shouldn't be allowed to simply resign ...... no, he and his board of morons and idiots should be tared and feathers and perp-walked down El Camino Real in Silicone Valley all the way to Gilroy!

[Mr. Dee]

Toby won't have to worry, there is a job waiting for him at Microsoft any minute now. Could we actually go into 2009 seeing the demise of this still relevant Internet property? Its sad, but all good things do come to an end.

[docmurdock]

It's a shame to see Yahoo's management and board doing what they're doing. I am here and ready to step in with a plan and move the company forward. Too bad they're too busy scouting all those high powered pencil pushers. When they're ready to move (TODAY WOULD BE GOOD) I am here:

http://is.gd/82O7

Michael Murdock, CEO
DocMurdock.com

[NPGMBR]

If anything this could be an opoortunity for Apple to enter the search business.

Between the typos, moronic business ideas and self promotion, I'm second guessing my fellow CNET readers. Wake up from your food comas and get real.

[HighwayHome]

I like the Louis Vitton spam more than the article.