Search engine Ask.com is set to undergo a significant management reorganisation as it prepares to separate into five publicly traded companies, it has been revealed.As part of the shakeup, chief executive officer of the firm Jim Lanzone is leaving to be replaced by Jim Safka.
Mr Lanzone, who took on his position with the company in 2006, will remain in an advisory role at Ask.com for a few months while also performing the role of entrepreneur-in-residence with his new employers at Redpoint Ventures.
"Jim Lanzone was the principal executive responsible for Ask.com's turnaround over the last two years. His passion for innovation and his everyday dedication to the business and its people have been everything anyone could ask for," stated Barry Diller, chairman and chief executive officer at IAC - which acquired Ask.com in 2005 for $1.5 billion.
His replacement Mr Safka will now oversee the firm's global operations while continuing in his role as chief executive officer of Primal Ventures, a new venture entity organisation that identifies and grows businesses opportunities for IAC.
Meanwhile, Scott Garell, chief executive of IAC's consumer applications and portals group, has been made president of Ask.com. He will replace John Park, who has been named as president of the group.
Speaking about the reorganisation, Mr Diller stated: "These changes are intended to strengthen and streamline the operating structure at IAC, both leading up to our intended spin-offs and beyond."
