Ross Levinsohn
Current role: Chairman at Scout Media
Score: 5
Why: Public CEO experience, familiarity with Yahoo, media experience, technology expertise, and turnaround capabilities.
Levinsohn was the former interim CEO of Yahoo in 2012 and clearly has intimate knowledge of the company, having previously worked there for two years. He had a shot at becoming the permanent Yahoo CEO, but the board hired Mayer instead. SunTrust says Levinsohn was one of two most frequently-mentioned potential candidates likely to be suitable for the role.
Dan Rosensweig
Current role: CEO of Chegg
Score: 5
Why: Public CEO experience, familiarity with Yahoo, media experience, technology expertise, and turnaround capabilities.
Rosensweig was Yahoo's COO between 2002 and 2006. He's now CEO at Chegg, a publicly listed company that specializes in online textbook rentals and online tutoring. Alongside Levinsohn, Rosenweig was the most-mentioned candidate in SunTrust's poll.
Jim Lanzone
Current role: CEO of CBS Interactive
Score: 4
Why: Public CEO experience, media experience, technology expertise, turnaround capabilities.
Lanzone has ample knowledge in running an online media company. In his current role, he operates websites such as CNET and CBS.com. Prior to that, he was the CEO of internet TV guide Clicker.com. In the 1990s he founded eTour, a direct marketing and internet media company, which was acquired by Ask in 2001.
David Rosenblatt
Current role: CEO of 1st Dibs
Score: 4
Why: Public CEO experience, media experience, technology expertise, turnaround capabilities.
Rosenblatt is a highly-respected internet advertising executive and entrepreneur. He was the former CEO of DoubleClick from 2004 to 2007, when it was sold to Google for $3.2 billion. Following that acquisition, he stayed on as Google's president of global display advertising until 2009. Alongside his role at online furniture and antiques marketplace 1st Dibs, he also sits on the board of Twitter and Interactive Corp, which owns Ask, Vimeo, and The Daily Beast.
Sheryl Sandberg
Current role: Facebook COO
Score: 2
Why: Media experience, technology expertise, most-mentioned candidate.
SunTrust's analysts say that Sandberg is not likely to leave her current role at Facebook but said she is on the list because her name was mentioned so frequently in conversations. The analysts added: "She is a widely-respected and a proven executive." Before helping to build up Facebook to a multi-billion dollar revenue generating business, Sandberg was vice president of Google's global online sales and operations. She also sits on Disney's board.
Margo Georgiadis
Current role: Google president of Americas operations
Score: 3
Why: Media experience, technology expertise, turnaround capabilities.
Georgiadis is a "respected" Google executive, responsible for running the Americas region. She also spent a short six-month stint as Groupon's chief operating officer in 2011 and spent more than a decade at McKinsey and Company, co-founding its customer acquisition sand management and retail marketing practices.
Susan Wojcicki
Current role: YouTube CEO
Score: 2
Why: Media experience, technology expertise
SunTrust describes Wojcicki as "highly respected," and as CEO of YouTube, she has knowledge of both the advertising and content businesses. Wojcicki famously lent her garage to Larry Page and Sergey Brin to set up the first Google office in 1998. She frequently appears at or near the top industry advertising rankings, including Business Insider's "Most Powerful Women in Mobile Advertising," and she was named in Time Magazine's 100 most influential people in 2015.
Beth Comstock
Current role: vice chair of business innovations at General Electric
Score: 2
Why: Media experience, technology expertise.
Comstock is GE's first female vice chair. Prior to that important in September this year, she was the company's chief marketing officer and described by Fortune as CEO Jeff Immelt's "right hand."
In that role, Comstock said she spent "at least 25 to 30% of my time" in Silicon Valley, which could have helped prime her for the Yahoo top spot. Comstock has also held roles as president of integrated media at NBC Universal and SVP of corporate communications at NBC News.
Linda Yaccarino
Current role: NBC Universal chairman of ad sales and client partnerships
Score: 2
Why: Media experience, technology expertise.
SunTrust says Yaccarino is a "prominent ad sales and marketing" executive. She oversees all advertising, sales, and market strategy for the company's entire TV portfolio. Prior to joining NBCUniversal in 2011, she was executive vice president of Turner Entertainment's advertising sales and marketing and acquisitions divisions. In 2011, she was recognized by Business Week as a "CEO of Tomorrow."
Jason Kilar
Current role: CEO of Vessel
Score: 2
Why: Media experience, technology expertise
Killar can help step up Yahoo's video assets. He is currently the CEO of video subscription service Vessel. Prior to that, he was the founding CEO of ad-supported streaming service Hulu. He also spent nine years as a senior vice president at Amazon.
