Ex-Yahoo CEO and resume-fudger Scott Thompson has been selected by retail organization ShopRunner to lead its efforts to take on Amazon.
Thompson attracted a lot of attention when he moved from PayPal to being Yahoo’s CEO. But just a few months after he was hired to replace previous CEO Carol Bartz, Thompsonresigned for overstating the credentials on his resume in SEC documents. Now, former Googler Marissa Mayer has been tapped to lead Yahoo and help the ailing tech company find its way back to relevance.
The new gig at ShopRunner will be a considerable step down for Thompson. ShopRunner makes it possible to get 2-day free shipping from many major retailers, including Toys R Us, Petsmart, GNC, American Eagle, and more, but it charges members $79 a year. It’s essentially a large-scale counter to Amazon Prime, which gives Amazon members free 2-day shipping and free streaming videos for $79 a year.
Thompson believes his time at PayPal has prepared him for ShopRunner:
“Joining ShopRunner is a tremendous opportunity to build on the strong foundation that the company has already established,” he said in a statement. “While PayPal and ShopRunner are fundamentally different businesses, there are similarities in each of their success. Both companies are focused on building the broadest network of satisfied merchants by providing the value that creates a large and loyal customer community, creating a virtuous circle.”
Scott Thompson photo: Yahoo/Flickr