Farzad Nazem, born in Tehran in 1961, spent eleven years as the chief technology officer at Yahoo!, where he steered the company through the internet bubble burst of 2000 and 2001. As one of the longest-serving executives during that period, he was instrumental in developing the site's scalable infrastructure and managing its transition into a dominant web portal.
Early Career and Oracle Tenure
Nazem graduated with a B.S. in computer science from California Polytechnic State University at age 19. His early professional experience included roles at Rolm Corporation and Sydis Inc. In 1985, he joined Oracle Corporation, where he collaborated with CEO Larry Ellison on strategic initiatives, including the Information Super Highway project designed to deliver entertainment services to domestic homes.
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Joining Yahoo! in 1996 before its public debut, Nazem was tasked with building the engineering department and overseeing site operations. He implemented an architecture utilizing farms of small generic servers running FreeBSD, which allowed the platform to scale efficiently. Under his leadership, the company launched My Yahoo and expanded its email service to support hundreds of millions of users.
Acquisitions and Stability
During his tenure, Nazem spearheaded over 50 acquisitions, managing the integration of new technologies and personnel. His presence provided executive continuity throughout the market volatility of the early 2000s. Alongside eBay and Amazon.com, Yahoo! was identified as one of the three internet companies that successfully survived the industry downturn, maintaining stability until his retirement in June 2007.
Investment and Philanthropy
Since 2010, Nazem has focused on angel investing, contributing capital to over 60 companies in sectors such as big data, cloud services, and healthcare. He frequently advises entrepreneurs on technical architecture and market strategy. Alongside his wife, Noosheen Hashemi, he co-founded the Hand Foundation in 2003, based in Menlo Park, California, and serves on the Board of Trustees of The Nueva School.
Fast facts
- Born: 1961, Tehran
- Education: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
- Yahoo! Chief Technology Officer: 1998-2007
- Yahoo! Senior Vice President: 1996-1998
- Hand Foundation Co-founder: 2003
- Languages: English, Persian
Questions readers ask
What did Farzad Nazem do after leaving Yahoo!?
He focused on angel investing, mentoring entrepreneurs, and managing the Hand Foundation alongside his family.
Was he involved in the acquisition of companies at Yahoo!?
Yes, he spearheaded more than 50 acquisitions during his time as chief technology officer, managing the integration of these entities.
Achievements
- Educated at California Polytechnic State University
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