Yahoo on the hunt for COO with business skills, report says

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer is looking for a chief operating officer who will free her up to handle product decisions, a new report claims.

Yahoo has enlisted the help of executive recruiter Spencer Stuart to find it a COO, All Things Digital's Kara Swisher reported yesterday, citing sources. The search firm is looking for someone who has strong business knowledge and can handle a restructuring, the report claims.

Just a month ago, Yahoo had a COO: Ross Levinsohn. However, Levinsohn left after he was stepped over for the CEO post. It's believed that Levinsohn is on the lookout for any CEO jobs that might crop up.

For Mayer, the Levinsohn loss might not be the end of the world. According to numerous reports, she has been trying to woo both former and current Google executives in an attempt to dramatically alter Yahoo's power structure. She has also copied some of Google's other practices, including offering free lunches in the company cafeteria and holding weekly companywide meetings.

Hiring a COO can help free Mayer up to focus on a host of initiatives she's reportedly planning to tackle at Yahoo. Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources, that Mayer is first focusing on improving Yahoo's search and e-mail and wants to enhance the company's "platforms and products."

CNET has contacted Yahoo for comment on the COO report. We will update this story when we have more information.