12 Things We Learned About Marissa Mayer in 'Vogue'
What's This?
2013-08-16 14:17:04 UTC
Since taking the reins at Yahoo just over a year ago, Marissa Mayer has become a superstar in the tech community. But she also remains a bit of a mystery.
No interview with Mayer has touched on her personal life as much as a 3,000-word profile in the September issue of Vogue by Slate Group editor in chief Jacob Weisberg. Mayer talks business a bit and notes her controversial stance on working at home has paid off.
"Teams are happier now that absent participants don’t teleconference in for meetings," the article states. "Messages on Yahoo’s 'devel-random' email list, the company's informal forum, have lately turned positive. And in perhaps the clearest sign of support, employees have, she tells [Silicon Valley investor Esther] Dyson, 'stopped leaking my e-mails' to the press."
But beyond the glam shots and shop talk, Mayer reveals some tidbits about her personal life and workstyle that may surprise you. We've rounded up the highlights below.
She's shy. "For the first 15 minutes she wants to leave any party, including one in her own home. 'I will literally look at my watch and say, ‘You can’t leave until time x,’' she says. ‘And if you’re still having a terrible time at time x, you can leave.’ She has learned that if she makes herself stay for a fixed period, she often gets over her social awkwardness and ends up having fun."
She worked hard during her pregnancy. "'One night I looked up and was like, 'Oh, my God, it’s midnight and I have a husband and I’m, like, eight months pregnant. I need to leave!’ I was just here working, having the best possible time. When Zack and I were brushing our teeth in the morning, he was like, 'Where were you last night?'"
She first met Tumblr founder David Karp in December. She started really using Tumblr between then and February, when they met again. The two started meeting "more intensely" in April. "That's when we said, ‘My gosh, if we’re going to do all this, it makes sense to merge.’ I loved David's perspective on the products, and I think he respected mine. We had a tremendous meeting of the minds in terms of what we wanted to build and what we wanted to do."
She drives a BMW that is 18 years old.
She runs half-marathons with her husband, Zachary Bogue, a venture capitalist. The two also enjoy skiing, travel and "good restaurants."
She's a fan of Candy Crush Saga and Bejeweled Blitz , but she hasn't had much time to play them lately.
She and Bogue bought a 15-foot red-and-white playhouse at a benefit auction and "had a forklift deposit it over their redwood fence" at their home for their new son, Macallister. They also have a replica of a Palo Alto diner in their backyard.
As employee No. 20 at Google, Mayer "was often asked how it felt to be the only woman on engineering teams. She’d answer truthfully: She hadn’t noticed."
Growing up in Wausau, Wis., she "never had fewer than one after-school activity per day: ballet, ice-skating, piano, swimming, debate team, Brownies."
In her dining room, an entire wall is "covered with purple-and-gold marquees that Mayer and Bogue had made for the tabletops at their wedding, printed with words representing their favorite things. These include on her side peppermint, colors, Paris and Etro."
Mayer's mother is Finnish and taught art. Mayer inherited a "bright-color and bold-pattern aesthetic" from her, as well as an appreciation for Marimekko prints.
Mayer's love of science comes from her father, "an environmental engineer who worked for water companies."
What do you think is the most surprising fact about Mayer? Share with us in the comments below.
Image: Mario Tama/Getty Images
Topics: Business, marissa mayer, Media, vogue, Yahoo
About the author
Admin
Duis sed tellus et tortor vestibulum gravida. Praesent elementum elit at tellus. Curabitur metus ipsum, luctus eu, malesuada ut, tincidunt sed, diam. Donec quis mi sed magna hendrerit accumsan.
0 comments: