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Yahoo CEO Wrongly Claimed To Have Degree In Computer Science

Posted by samzenpus on from the was-that-wrong? dept.

jmcbain writes "Scott Thompson, Yahoo!'s CEO who was hired on January 4 of this year, was found to have lied about his CS degree from Stone Hill College. Investigation from an activist shareholder revealed that his degree was actually in accounting, and apparently Thompson had been going with this lie since the time he served as president of PayPal's payments unit."

34 of 363 comments (clear)

  1. I would've went with accounting by outsider007 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yahoo needs an accounting CEO more than a cs one lately.

    --
    If you mod me down the terrorists will have won
    1. Re:I would've went with accounting by slartibartfastatp · · Score: 4, Insightful

      An accounting and liar CEO - that's gonna work.

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      -- --
    2. Re:I would've went with accounting by narcc · · Score: 4, Funny

      That's the current standard, isn't it?

      --
      Required reading for internet skeptics
    3. Re:I would've went with accounting by Kenja · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yea... an accountant. He already said that.

      --

      "Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
    4. Re:I would've went with accounting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      No, it's redundant.

    5. Re:I would've went with accounting by Black+Parrot · · Score: 5, Funny

      Yea... an accountant. He already said that.

      To retread an old joke about politicians:

      Q: How do you know an accountant is lying?

      A: His pencil is moving.

      --
      Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
    6. Re:I would've went with accounting by Greyfox · · Score: 5, Funny

      Obviously not a very good one. He seems to be having trouble accounting for a CS degree...

      --

      I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

    7. Re:I would've went with accounting by Billly+Gates · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Sadly that is the problem with Corporate America today.

      You laugh it off, but why do you think corporate America still prefers IE 6 & XP and only looks at IT as a cost center and sales as profit centers and everything else as a un necessary cost?

      The reason why is accountants run the show and follow GAAP rules and know little about the business. Wall Street just wants someone to fudge numbers so they can pump and then short the stock within a 6 - 9 week window.

      Accountants make the claim I made x amount of money therefore I can raise your stock price etc.

      Is there any CEOs who were former engineers or designers left? A CEO with an IT background would be actually nice for an IT company! Who would ahve thought!

      --
      http://saveie6.com/
    8. Re:I would've went with accounting by b4dc0d3r · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Sadly, there are few people who have the luxury of completing two master's level degrees and optionally a doctorate.

      What, no, that's just plain silly. In order for advanced degrees to have value, you have to work in the field, then either get the degree while working, or take time off work. Not right out of undergrad.

      Your hypothetical monster combo is going to be 40 years old at a minimum in order to be of any value. You can get the degrees quickly, and then spend 5 years working before you really understand how it works.

      Only your last line makes sense. Get the IT based degree, and partner with someone who has the business sense. The difference is, you are equal partners. Not the IT guy in the dungeon being told what to do. That is a powerful combination, two people who can complement each other. Not a single monstrosity who thinks he knows everything and has to consult no one.

  2. Doesn't that make him a better CEO? by JoeMerchant · · Score: 5, Funny

    Pathological disregard for others makes a more ruthless and efficient leader, isn't that what shareholders want?

    1. Re:Doesn't that make him a better CEO? by rtb61 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Well no really because of course that ruthless and efficient leader is all about ruthless and efficient salary, bonuses and of course golden parachute.

      Ruthless and efficient thinking ie psychopathic thinking demands that those with the greatest resources make the most profitable victims, in this case it is the investors.

      The pattern should be pretty obvious by now. Fudge the books to create the false illusion of high profits, ramp up salary and bonuses, make it look like you are doing something through acquisitions, mergers and, mass sackings. Make it all last as long as possible and try to avoid jail when you bail with your golden parachute just before the company goes belly up.

      Modern CEO no qualifications required beyond excellence in PR=B$ (lies for profit).

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    2. Re:Doesn't that make him a better CEO? by lightknight · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Hmm. And there in lies the problem.

      An IT department may be viewed as stocking multiple redundancies, such RAID, backup servers, and let's be honest, a large inventory of computers parts that are not currently being used. Management, classically trained, will look at all those DVI and HDMI cables, and wonder why IT needs to many of them. So what do they do? Play the fools game by trying to measure the 'real' needs of IT, by cutting their budget, and making the manager of said vision beg for parts. They are not aware that those extra parts are kept on hand because it's more efficient, in the 'we are paying our employees an impressive hourly wage / salary, and it does us no good for them to continue to be paid for twiddling their thumbs while we wait a day or two for the parts they need to come in.' Someone will then offer to pick up said items from a local supplier who will, of course, noticing their immediate need, have the company paying good money for shite product. And when you factor in shipping costs, as well as the (very often) lower costs of ordering from an online supplier, it makes sense to order in bulk.

      --
      I am John Hurt.
    3. Re:Doesn't that make him a better CEO? by Magada · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Interestingly enough, what you describe is a case of shitty cost accounting.

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      Something bad is coming when people are suddenly anxious to tell the truth.
  3. So? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Was he able to do the job well? Does it REALLY matter? If he got away with it that long I say good for him, if his employers aren't smart enough or care enough to verify they weren't really that concerned about his credentials.

    1. Re:So? by J+Story · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Was he able to do the job well? Does it REALLY matter? If he got away with it that long I say good for him, if his employers aren't smart enough or care enough to verify they weren't really that concerned about his credentials.

      Maybe this is an indication that degrees are over-rated. Or to be charitable, that it isn't particularly important exactly what you learn.

    2. Re:So? by Black+Parrot · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Was he able to do the job well? Does it REALLY matter? If he got away with it that long I say good for him, if his employers aren't smart enough or care enough to verify they weren't really that concerned about his credentials.

      Maybe this is an indication that degrees are over-rated. Or to be charitable, that it isn't particularly important exactly what you learn.

      Perhaps. Though it's not obvious that a CS degree would contribute much to your skills as a CEO.

      --
      Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
    3. Re:So? by houstonbofh · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Every time it comes up, lots of people (myself included) always say that you just need a degree, it doesn't matter what in. This just proves it... Not in the way I intended what I said the above, but still...

    4. Re:So? by wvmarle · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Depending on the job at hand, it's certainly true. One of the major things of having a degree is that it proves you have a certain learning capability, and self discipline to get it done. And after a few years, degrees count less and less, as actual job experience takes over.

      Though especially the more technical fields where the actual background/scientific knowledge counts it's not "just any" degree that will land you such a job.

      Besides, I'm used to employers taking a resume for granted, and not doing much of checking (as long as the whole thing makes sense). Yet for a CEO function I'd expect a bit more of background checks being done. A simple call to the university the person says to have graduated from would suffice to confirm he actually has that degree. Or not, in this case.

    5. Re:So? by Mitreya · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Was he able to do the job well? Does it REALLY matter? If he got away with it that long I say good for him, if his employers aren't smart enough or care enough

      They are now saying (in TFA) that this does not diminish his wonderful abilities to lead the company. They are not firing him! Is Yahoo HR informed that a relevant degree is now optional when they filter resumes?
      I am happy with either direction:
      a) Fire him and apologize for oversight
      b) Keep him and announce that Yahoo believes that degrees don't mean much

      But you can't have it both ways.

    6. Re:So? by solarissmoke · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I have worked with accounting graduates who haven't the first clue about drawing real-world conclusions from financial statements. And I've worked with psychology graduates who do. The point is that it's not the degree, but the character and intelligence of the person holding it that determines whether they make a competent CEO.

  4. firstly by NemoinSpace · · Score: 5, Informative

    Now that everyone realizes he's not an IT guy, he'll probably ask for a raise.

  5. Reminds me of Disney by Grayhand · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "Investigation from an activist shareholder revealed that his degree was actually in accounting" Back when I worked for Disney we called Eisner that guy from accounting, it's actually a Berke Breathed quote we borrowed. It's amazing how many of these supposed CEOs are glorified accountants. Kind of explains the whole lack of imagination in big business.

    1. Re:Reminds me of Disney by hey! · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Actually, my experience with actual CPA's has been that they're a pleasure to work with. For one thing they file kick-ass bug reports. A good accountant knows how difficult it is to track a problem down, because a lot of what they do amounts to financial debugging.

      The *really* good accountants I've known also understand something important, which is the limitations of their discipline. That's probably a prerequisite for being really good at any profession, but accountants generally are more aware of the limitations of their profession than, say, lawyers are. So I think the problem is more likely managers thinking they're accountants than vice versa.

      It's understandable, because management is an interdisciplinary field in which the only guarantee of success would be a working time machine. Managers out of their depth tend to grasp at straws (like anyone would); sometimes its accounting, other times it is marketing, other times it is quality control. I think a great manager would know the limits of the management discipline, and focus on hiring great people and keeping them working together.

      Anyhow, the accountants I've worked with have been terrific, and I've learned a lot from them; so whenever I hear "accountant" casually used as a pejorative, I like to speak up.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
  6. One should be proud *not* to have a CS degree by caywen · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If you can get to the top ranks of a tech company without a CS degree, it's almost like a big FU to all of us that do hold CS degrees. I've always was kind of awed by people I work with that understand everything I do about technology and even CS concepts but don't have a degree. It's humbling and enlightening. Despite being 10x harder, a BSCS is kind of treated like a liberal arts degree these days. It's something to be personally proud of, but it seems to hold no real weight on ones resume. At least, that's how it seems.

    So, IMO that makes it an even bigger red flag when someone claims to have such a degree when they don't. It speaks to me of true cluelessness.

    1. Re:One should be proud *not* to have a CS degree by Anne_Nonymous · · Score: 4, Funny

      >> If you want to rise to the top

      The cream floats to the top...but so do dead fish.

  7. Ironically by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    A quick Google search would have exposed his charade a long time ago.

    1. Re:Ironically by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      I think a Yahoo search would have been even more ironical...

  8. And he still has a job? by Guppy06 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If he were labor, HR would have sent security to escort him out of the building before this even got to press.

    That must be one hell of a golden parachute he's packing.

  9. "Wrongly claimed.." by 3Cats · · Score: 5, Funny

    I asked my son if he broke the neighbor's window, he "wrongly claimed" that he didn't.

    My boss asked me if I was coming in to work today and I "wrongly claimed" I was ill.

    "Sweetheart, I am not "wrongly claiming" when I told you I never slept with your sister. It was an "inadvertent error" ..I *LIKE* this !

  10. Re:CEO's by houstonbofh · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why do CEO's in this country think they are above everyone else, demanding excessive compensation and feel they can prevaricate with impunity when it suits their purposes?

    Because people continue to give them excessive compensation, and they keep getting away with the lies... In other words, they believe that because it is true.

  11. "wrongly claimed"??? by mark-t · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Oh fer crissake...

    The man lied. Nothing more to it than that

    "wrongly claimed"... give me a break.

    --
    File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
  12. Fire Him by JStyle · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I say fire him immediately. Having someone at the top who egregiously lied for so long sets the tone for the whole company. That's not how you want to do business, so that's not who you want as your leader.

  13. Fired for fraud by lanner · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Failure for Yahoo's board to terminate his employment with cause for fraud would be a clear indication of corruption at the highest levels in the organization.

    I would not be surprised if he were to stay. That's just how those people think. It's basically the good 'ol boy system in the modern day.

  14. Re:CEO's by cbope · · Score: 4, Informative

    CEO pay in the US recently hit an all time high. In 2011, they made 209.4 times the average worker. Their pay has increased 127 times faster than worker's pay over the last 30 years. In the period from 1978 to 2011, CEO pay rose by 725%, while worker pay rose only 5.7% in the same period. This is in stark contrast to worker productivity which rose 93% in the same 30 year period. So, the average worker is doing nearly double the work for a less than 6% raise over a 30 year period. Unfortunately, I have not seen any stats on CEO productivity, but I doubt they are doing much more than they were 30 years ago.

    You do the math... CEO's will lie as much as possible remain in the position to keep their massive pay packages. The gap between CEO pay and average worker pay is widening at an alarming rate, with the CEO absorbing a very large percentage of company net profits compared to 30 years ago.