Internet giant Yahoo announced on Thursday that it has appointed two new members to its Board of Directors in a move that some observers believe is the company's way to tell shareholders that it is still firmly in charge.
Former Broadcom CFO Eric K. Brandt and former Morgan Stanley investment banker Catherine J. Friedman are expected to assume the seats on Yahoo's board recently vacated by brokerage founder Charles Schwab and Internet businessman Max Levchin.
With Yahoo struggling to stay competitive in the Web industry in recent years, many have begun to question the ability of its leadership to steer the company in the right direction.
The tech company revealed in February that it's planning to take on a multi-pronged approach to revive its fortunes. This involves focusing on its core Internet businesses, entertaining various strategic proposals that include sale and continuing with its planned spin-off of its stake in the Chinese e-commerce group Alibaba, valued at $25 billion.
Activist shareholders, however, continue to pressure Yahoo's leadership to take on more drastic steps to help turn the company around.
One shareholder in particular, Starboard Value, is pushing for Yahoo to sell its core Internet businesses, such as Yahoo Mail and Yahoo Sports, to other companies that could make the highest bid. These include telecom giant Verizon, which recently purchased one of Yahoo's main rivals, AOL.
Starboard Value has even threatened to elect its own group of directors to Yahoo's board unless the company follows its recommendations.
In 2014, the hedge fund successfully took over the board of Olive Garden-owner Darden Restaurants.
Business experts view Yahoo's decision to appoint two new directors as its power play to show Starboard Value that it still controls its board.
"They are saying, 'bring it on because we are not going to wait to see what you want to say and we are not interested in your suggestions,'" Eleanor Bloxham, chief executive of the executive advisory firm The Value Alliance, said. "I'm not sure how wise that is because Starboard can cause some headache."
Robert Peck, an analyst at the financial advisory group SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, said that he is confused as to why Yahoo's new directors would want to join in on a potentially messy proxy battle.
He considers the company's decision to expand its Board of Directors as a "negotiating move" as part of its strategy going into its meeting with shareholders this week.
