She also was a , giving interviews and speaking to enthusiastic crowds at Google conferences and industry events.

Olds said Mayer's experience makes her the right person to take over control of Yahoo.

"I think that she's finally the right hire for Yahoo," he added. "She has the right pedigree and experience, plus she knows how to work in a large organization. Being Google's 20th employee, she also knows how to foster the corporate culture of an innovative and successful company. Bringing Yahoo back is a tall order, but I think she's the right person for the job."

By all expectations, it will be a big, messy job (http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9226898/Will_Yahoo_CEO_s_misstep_kill_company_momentum_ ) .

Last September, Yahoo then-CEO Carol Bartz. In January, the company hired Scott Thompson, president of eBay's PayPal division, as its CEO. Five months later, Thompson amid a public scandal surrounding the inaccurate reporting of his academic credentials. For the second time in eight months, the company was, not only in an embarrassing spot, but was without a CEO.