As EVP and chief marketing officer at Yahoo!, Steele is not only responsible for the company’s global marketing strategy and functions including brand, audience, business-to-business, insights, global communications, policy, privacy, community affairs and regional marketing, she’s also a fiercely committed Yahoo! brand zealot. Tasked with promoting, protecting and growing the premier digital media company (and one of the best-loved and ubiquitous brands in the world), Elisa Steele loves her job. Steele has extensive experience leading global marketing at technology companies. Prior to Yahoo!, she was senior vice president of corporate marketing at NetApp, where she led a transformational brand strategy for the Company and was responsible for the execution of marketing programs, communications, corporate relations, and integrated marketing functions on a global basis. Before NetApp, Steele led Sun’s integrated marketing and merchandising organization, where she was responsible for global go-to-market initiatives, campaign execution, events, online marketing, and installed base marketing. Her experience also includes marketing management positions at iPlanet eCommerce Solutions and JavaSoft. Steele was a sales leader at AT&T for several years, producing revenue growth nationally and managing diverse sales organizations.
Steele holds a master of business administration degree from San Francisco State University and a bachelor of business administration degree from the University of New Hampshire.
In 2009, Advertising Age named her a “Women to Watchâ€. Steele serves on the board of directors of RMG Networks and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) as well as the Executive Committed for the IAB. She serves on the Forbes Executive Women board, is a board advisor to Zeum (San Francisco’s creativity museum for kids) and a strong advocate of the Women In Technology program at Yahoo!. Elisa’s global marketing team has been recognized in the industry for excellence in branding, innovation, convergence and experiences.
Elisa’s favorite color is purple and she’s not afraid to yodel!