Cloud Computing: Akamai returns to roots, taps founder as new CEO

Grazed from GigaOM. Author: Barb Darrow.

Akamai’s 8-month search for a new CEO didn’t take it too far: It tapped co-founder and chief scientist Tom Leighton to succeed Paul Sagan, who announced his intention to leave last April. Now Sagan will cede the CEO slot on January 1. Eight months after launching an executive search for a successor to Akamai CEO Paul Sagan, the company tapped its c0-founder Tom Leighton for that role.

Leighton, who is also chief scientist for the Cambridge, Mass. content delivery network (CDN) provider, will start his new gig January 1, 2013. Last spring, Sagan announced his plans to step down as CEO at the end of 2013. Both Leighton and Sagan will remain on the board and Sagan will stay on as a senior strategy advisor, the company said…

In a statement, Martin Coyne II, the lead director on Akamai’s board said:

”When we began evaluating our options for the next CEO of Akamai, our objective was simply to have the best possible leadership team in place for continued growth and innovation in the years ahead, and that’s what we’re doing with Tom’s appointment. We conducted an exhaustive review of the company’s strategy and opportunities as we evaluated a broad range of potential candidates. We are confident that naming Tom is the best and most natural evolution of management responsibility at Akamai.”…

Read more from the source @ http://gigaom.com/cloud/akamai-returns-to-roots-taps-founder-as-new-ceo/