Yahoo Names a Chief Diversity & Culture Officer

Yahoo has selected Alicin Reidy-Williamson to lead the internet giant’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts as its Chief Diversity & Culture Officer.

As the company’s DEI lead, she will report directly to CEO Jim Lanzone and oversee employee engagement and strategic partnerships and work to strengthen policies and practices that nurture a culture of inclusion.

To do so, she will lean on more than 25 years of experience, including her most recent role as Chief Inclusion Officer at Endeavor. Before that, she was Managing Principal for The Raben Group and spent 13 years at Viacom and MTV Networks, where she launched the company’s efforts in corporate responsibility, diversity and inclusion and public affairs.

“Alicin has a strong track record of driving DEI innovation and the experience to lead Yahoo during our next stage of growth,” Lanzone said in the company’s announcement. “She will help to unlock the full potential of our workforce and business that will fully reflect Yahoo’s values and purpose. I look forward to her leadership and partnership.”

Reidy-Williamson joins Yahoo less than a year after Verizon sold its media unit, which included Yahoo and AOL, to Apollo Global Management for $5 billion—around 1% of the companies’ peak valuations. After the deal was completed in September 2021, Verizon Media was renamed Yahoo and Lazone, who was the CEO of dating app Tinder at the time, was installed as the company’s CEO.

“In my conversations with leaders across Yahoo, it is clear the company’s DEI culture runs deep – and impacts every employee at every level,” Reidy-Williamson said. “By leveraging the power of this culture, we can drive business results while accelerating employee engagement and experiences that create access, advocacy and community. Yahoo’s long-standing commitment to an inclusive workplace coupled with its new transformation makes it an exciting time to join the company.”