Exclusive: Former Yahoo Head of Talent blames Marissa Mayer's 'harmful autocratic approach' for company's decline

Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo, is responsible for the company’s poor employee engagement, according to the tech giant’s former European Head of Talent.

The claim comes after Mayer faced criticism after an employee engagement survey revealed dramatic double-digit drops in metrics such as morale and trust in the company’s executive leadership.

James Brook was the European Head of Talent at Yahoo between 2003 and 2005. He is currently the Managing Director at Strengths Partnership. Speaking exclusively to Executive Grapevine, Brook blames the CEO for the current state of affairs.

“Over the past seven years, Yahoo has seen a mass exodus of exceptional talent,” he says. "Having been Head of Talent at Yahoo Europe, it was disheartening to witness Marissa Mayer’s harmful autocratic approach to talent management, which has played a role in exacerbating the company’s rapid decline.