Top Yahoo Ad Exec Riley Departs in Wake of Recent Changes (Memo)

In a move that comes as little surprise to anyone paying attention to insider baseball, top Yahoo exec Rich Riley will be departing the company.

Riley, who has had a number of jobs at the Silicon Valley Internet giant over 14 years, was most recently the head of its critical Americas advertising unit, a job he just got under recently ousted CEO Scott Thompson.

But Yahoo’s new interim CEO Ross Levinsohn hired high-profile online advertising exec Michael Barrett this week as chief revenue officer in charge of global sales.

As part of the changeover in power, Riley stepped down from his job and it was unclear what his status at Yahoo would be.

Now it is clear, although it does not appear that Riley is headed to a new job.

Thus, here’s the sartorially elegant exec’s goodbye email to staff:

Hey Team,

After almost 14 years as a Yahoo!, I have made the difficult decision that it is time for my next adventure. I will be around for a couple of months to ensure a smooth transition. Yahoo! has been far more than a job for me. From the first time I walked into the office in Santa Clara in 1998, I was absolutely taken by the magic of this company, its talent, and its enormous potential. Through the dotcom boom, bust and subsequent events, I have ridden the purple wave with pride and enjoyed almost every minute of it. I’ve laughed, cried and fought the good fight alongside some of the most talented people with whom I could ever hope to work. I remain eternally bullish on the prospects for our company and will be cheering you on as a shareholder and proud alum.