• Silicon Alley Insider/Various, Wednesday, January 14, 2009 11:30 AM

Predictably, the press has had a mixed reaction to the news that Carol Bartz will replace Jerry Yang as Yahoo CEO. The Financial Timesdismissed Bartz as a "safe but uninspired" choice, while Reuters noted that the new Yahoo CEO "lacks Web and deal-making chops."

Bloggers Om Malik and Henry Blodget were more sanguine about the former Autodesk CEO. Malik lists seven reasons why he thinks she will succeed, citing the great turnaround she orchestrated at Autodesk and her successful bout with breast cancer, among other things. Blodget notes the same positives. "The more we learn about (Bartz), the more we like," he says. Based on the anecdotes of readers and sources, and her introduction during yesterday's conference call, Bartz "appears to have exactly the philosophy that Yahoo needs right now."

And what philosophy would that be? Specifically, Blodget says she isn't afraid "to break eggs, piss people off, fire people," she's tough, not afraid to admit failure and change, she's also direct, good with clients, and committed to her task. In a 2004 Business 2.0 profile, Bartz said, "I can't understand people who walk. I'm not built that way." She also once lashed out at her executive team for under-performing. "Tell me why I shouldn't fire the whole lot of you," she said.

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