Susan Decker
Susan Decker | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 17, 1962 Denver, Colorado, U.S. |
| Occupation | Business executive |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Known for | President of Yahoo! Inc (2007–2009), co-founder of Raftr |
Susan Lynne Decker (born November 17, 1962) is a prominent American executive. She held the position of president at Yahoo! Inc during 2007 and 2008, managing company operations under CEO Jerry Yang. In 2017, she co-established Raftr, a social networking service.
Investment Research
Decker earned a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science and economics from Tufts University and completed an MBA at Harvard Business School. She is also a certified Chartered Financial Analyst.
Prior to her tenure at Yahoo, she dedicated 14 years to the investment bank Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, where she spent 12 years as an equity research analyst. In this role, she analyzed more than 30 stocks in media, publishing, and advertising sectors for institutional clients. For a decade, Institutional Investor honored her as a leading analyst. Subsequently, she advanced to global director of equity research, overseeing operations with a $300 million budget.
Yahoo!
From 2007 to 2009, Decker was Yahoo!'s president, following roles as chief financial officer and executive vice president of finance and administration from 2000 through 2007. She also led the Advertiser and Publisher Group between 2006 and 2007, initiating partnerships with the newspaper industry and launching a display advertising platform.
During Jerry Yang’s leadership as CEO, Decker was considered a candidate for the CEO role amid Microsoft's acquisition bid. She supported forming a search alliance with Google; however, this was blocked by the U.S. Justice Department due to antitrust concerns. After Yang stepped down, the board appointed Carol Bartz as an external CEO, and Decker departed from Yahoo in January 2009.
Post-Yahoo! directorships
Decker currently serves on the boards of Automattic, Berkshire Hathaway, Costco, SurveyMonkey, Vail Resorts, and Vox Media. She was formerly on Pixar Animation Studios’ board prior to its acquisition by The Walt Disney Company and also contributed as a director at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. In 2010, she became a Trustee for Save The Children.
In 2009, she joined Harvard Business School as an Entrepreneur In Residence to mentor student startups and enhance entrepreneurship education.
Other career
In 2018, Decker launched Raftr, a platform designed to foster communication and community within universities. The application connects students through social groups called "rafts," organized around common interests to encourage campus engagement.
Awards and recognition
Decker was honored with Harvard Business School's Alumni Achievement Award on September 30, 2010.
Personal life
Raised in Denver, Colorado, Decker is divorced with three children and currently lives in San Francisco, California.