The recent decision by Yahoo! founder and CEO Jerry Yang to step down from the position has lead to much speculation about who might now replace him and what options are open to Yahoo! in the future. Advertising Age has published a good summary of the potential candidates for the job and the task that awaits them.

Yahoo! has had a tough year - repelling the advances of Microsoft, attempting a closer advertising deal with Google which hasn't paid off, and facing a declining market share and growing business pressures against its main rivals. The decision on who will lead the company into 2009 and to potentially turn the business around into a more effective market competitor will be an immensely important one. The outcome will determine whether Yahoo! survives in any meaningful way over the next 12 months.