Can New CEO Keep eBay on Top?

Company faces slowing growth, competition
By Laila Weir,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 31, 2008 2:12 PM CDT
Can New CEO Keep eBay on Top?
Meg Whitman, outgoing CEO of EBay, is joining Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign as national co-chairperson.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, file)

As John Donahoe takes over from Meg Whitman as CEO of eBay today, he inherits a grande dame where Whitman oversaw the rise of an e-commerce belle. Still dominant in online auctions, the company has nonetheless faced slowing growth and stiffening competition. But analysts think Donahoe, the former eBay Marketplace president, can hold the site's high bid on the market, USA Today reports.

eBay’s US revenue has declined in five of the last six quarters, and the site has struggled to establish itself in Asia. Meanwhile, some sellers are defecting to Amazon and other sites, fleeing eBay's fee hikes or seeking more opportunities. Still, one analyst called it “eBay's battle to lose." Donahoe has said he’ll emphasize fixed-priced listings more and push for a better search engine. (More e-commerce stories.)

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