Bradford replaces former Senior Vice President of Sales David Karnstedt at Yahoo, who recently left to join a venture capital firm.
Circumstances may have heated up earlier this year when Microsoft initiated some executive juggling in its online unit. Bradford's boss, Steve Berkowitz, who had headed up the online unit, was "pushed aside" in February to a transitional role, according to a New York Times account.
Berkowitz left Microsoft in August, according to the Times article. Meanwhile, Bradford was assigned to report to Satya Nadella, an engineering supervisor who previously managed accounting and business software. Bradford subsequently resigned from Microsoft in March.
Bradford had left Microsoft in the heat of its failed hostile takeover bid for Yahoo. Microsoft wanted all or part of Yahoo to boost its search engine marketing revenues. Microsoft's Live Search engine currently trails in third place behind those of Google and Yahoo.
At Microsoft, Bradford was credited with bolstering a shaky MSN unit with new online advertising revenues. She played a major role in Microsoft's Internet operations network and served as corporate vice president of global sales and marketing.
Bradford's new role at Yahoo is senior vice president of U.S. revenue and market development. She will "oversee sales, market development for advertisers, small business and Yahoo HotJobs," according to a Yahoo released statement. Bradford will report to Hillary Schneider, executive vice president of Yahoo's U.S. operations.
Bradford has joined Yahoo when the company's shares are trading at a 52-week low. Moreover, the U.S. Department of Justice is reportedly scrutinizing a search advertising agreement between Yahoo and Google with the possibility of busting up the deal.
