Carol Bartz, the new CEO of Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO), has no qualms about executive transparency. During an appearance Tuesday at the Morgan Stanley Tech Conference in San Francisco, Bartz confessed that she doesn't use Yahoo's mapping functionality. "I use Google Maps," she admitted. Chief Financial Officer Blake Jorgensen tried to defer the potential PR problem by explaining that Yahoo Maps has been placed on the back burner, since it's so expensive to invest in the product.

Yahoo Maps isn't the only weakness Bartz noted. Though she said it's "very clear" that Yahoo needs to dive into the social networking arena, the CEO floated the idea of a partnership with an existing company, rather than the launch of a brand-new product. "I do not believe we can invent the next Facebook," she explained.

Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) is an internet company that has more visitors and users across its combined properties than any other company. Is it realizing all the revenue it can from all those customers? Not really. In fact, competitor Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) is sucking Yahoo!'s well of customers dry each month using roughly one revenue avenue -- text-based search advertising. Yahoo! was late to realize that advertising was the place to be, rather than trying to get customers to pay for premium services and content that they can get elsewhere for free. Result? Yahoo! is scrambling to catch up to the mover and shaker in the industry -- and it ain't Yahoo!.

Yahoo!'s search for a new CFO ended last week. The catch, one with deep financial market ties, speaks volumes about potential Yahoo! strategy in the months and years to come. Blake Jorgensen's appointment means that Yahoo! may be looking to shed non-core assets or even set itself up to be sold. Yahoo!'s lingering rumor that it join with Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) has been vanquished (again), which leaves Yahoo! standing in the dark corner with a lit match while Google runs all over town with a bonfire on its back.

Yahoo! is losing some key employees as the "grass is greener" attitude continues to infiltrate the company. It's been speculated that 2007 may see the end of Terry Semel as Yahoo!'s CEO after some nice moves in 2002 and 2003 did not pay off as planned and Google's furtive moves caught the Yahoo! guard off-guard. The recovery has not panned out at all either and still remains murky. If Semel can somehow manage to get Yahoo! back in the prominent spotlight (and making more money based on all the customer relationships it has), he may be safe. It is not, however, happening to the degree YHOO shareholders are needing at this point.

Yahoo Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) named a new Chief Financial Officer this morning. Blake Jorgensen will assume the duties beginning in early June and report directly to Chief Executive Officer Terry Semel.

What is interesting is Jorgensen's background. He was a co-founder of San Francisco-based investment banking firm Thomas Weisel Partners. Why would Yahoo select the critical position of CFO from the investment banking world? It could signify that Yahoo is indeed for sale and an experienced investment banker knows exactly how to cross the T's and dot the I's and pretty up the baby for display.

The other possible reason to hire a CFO with an investment banking background is to establish solid and reliable communication with Wall Street. The analytical and portfolio management world love a CFO who communicates effectively surprises to the upside! With that appreciation, unforeseen events will tend to rock that stock less than if handled by a CFO the Street likes.

The CFO of any publicly traded company must effectively deliver the financial vision of his company. The CEO must deliver the business vision. A good CFO can compensate for a less-than-excellent CEO by managing the CEO internally within the company, and helping to absorb any body blows by the financial media.

Many investors have called for Semel's resignation because he hasn't delivered earnings to Wall Street's liking. Semel is indeed a visionary technologist, but is he an effective manager/CEO? The jury is still out.

With a strong CFO, investors may take comfort that the news out of Yahoo will be smoothed out over the ensuing quarters.

We shall see, but remember, investment bankers are deal makers.

Georges Yared is the CIO of Yared Investment Research where he explores more growth stock ideas.