Yahoo confirmed the move by Zinman (pictured here), after an inquiry by BoomTown, in a statement:

“David Zinman, Vice President & GM, Display Marketplace at Yahoo! has decided to leave the company, effective January 11. He’ll be working very closely with James Beriker, the former CEO of Dapper, who will take on David’s position, to ensure a smooth transition and build upon Yahoo!’s leadership position in display advertising.”

A source close to the company said the move was not part of a reorganization about to take place of the critical U.S. advertising unit by its new leader, Americas EVP Ross Levinsohn.

Levinsohn, who came to Yahoo in late fall, is now prepping a rejiggering of this management team, much as Chief Product Officer Blake Irving did soon after he arrived last April.

Unlike Irving’s, which included a number of significant exec departures, Levinsohn’s new structure is not expected to be as drastic, nor will it involve the massive layoffs that took place in the product unit in December.

Levinsohn, according to numerous sources inside the Silicon Valley company, seems to be off to a good start there, with many considering the fast-talking exec a “breath of fresh air.”

Or, perhaps, breath of hair.

Apropos of nothing, pretty much everyone I spoke to about his performance thus far comments on his very bouncy and behaving mane.

They are lovely locks, as I can attest, and as you can see here.

So, let’s hope Levinsohn can grow Yahoo’s stagnant revenue as well as he does his tresses.

Former top Yahoo advertising exec David Karnstedt (pictured here), who has been parked at a Silicon Valley venture firm since he left the company, has been named president and CEO of Efficient Frontier.

Interestingly, another former Yahoo (YHOO) exec, Ellen Siminoff, has also been CEO at the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based search engine marketing firm. She is now chairman.

Karnstedt, who was SVP of of Yahoo’s North American sales until last fall, replaces James Beriker.

He has most recently been an executive-in-residence at Redpoint Ventures, an investor in Efficient Frontier.

Here is an interview I did with Karnstedt in 2007, when he was at Yahoo.

And here is the full press release:

Efficient Frontier Names David Karnstedt as President and CEO

Former Redpoint Ventures Executive-in-Residence and Senior Vice President of Yahoo!’s North American Sales Brings Extensive Experience to the Post

Sunnyvale, Calif. – April 2, 2009 – Efficient Frontier, the worldwide leader in Search Engine Marketing (SEM) technology and services, today announced that David Karnstedt has been named President and Chief Executive Officer of the company.

Karnstedt most recently was an Executive-in-Residence at Redpoint Ventures, an investor in Efficient Frontier. Prior to Redpoint, he served as Senior Vice President of Yahoo!’s North American Sales with responsibility for more than $3 billion in revenue. During his tenure at Yahoo!, he successfully led the integration of the Search and Display sales teams into one central unit and helped establish Yahoo! as a recognized leader in both display and search marketing.

“We feel incredibly fortunate to have someone of David’s caliber join Efficient Frontier at this point in the company’s life cycle,” said Ellen Siminoff, Chairwoman of Efficient Frontier’s Board of Directors. “David’s extensive experience in the Internet space – specifically search – will be a huge asset as he leads the company forward.”

Karnstedt’s experience includes several industry firsts. Prior to Yahoo!, David led the Direct Sales team at Overture Services, the company that pioneered the paid search industry and was acquired by Yahoo! in 2003. He also served as Vice President and General Manager of Alta Vista, where he was responsible for the consumer business and helped shape product development and marketing strategies that leveraged the auctions-based search approach. Prior to Alta Vista, David served as Western Advertising Director at Wired Digital where he helped to develop some of the first advertising models on the Web. He is also active in the industry, having served on both the Advertising Council and Interactive Advertising Association’s Boards of Directors.

“As the leading global Search Engine Marketing company, Efficient Frontier has built tremendous assets –
including its technology platform, a global presence and a great team,” said David Karnstedt. “I plan to build on these key assets by expanding the company’s leadership in search, diversifying into complimentary product offerings and increasing its global presence. I am pleased to lead the company into its next phase of growth.”

Karnstedt is replacing James Beriker, who held executive positions at the company since April 2007 and was its President, CEO and a member of the Board of Directors from February 2008 until March 2009. The company’s business expanded significantly while James was CEO. We are appreciative of his efforts and contributions.