Self-described geek and former Google exec Marissa Mayer assumed her new position as the CEO of Yahoo on Tuesday, making her one of the most powerful women in Silicon Valley.
But Google's 20th hire and first female engineer, who earned a master's degree in artificial intelligence, is a unique brand of computer science "geek." Mayer loves fashion, lives in a penthouse in San Francisco and just announced that she's six months pregnant. Yet this newly appointed CEO is also obsessed with software usability.
"There's all kinds of different women who do this," Mayer said in an interview at a CES2012 panel hosted by CNET. "You can wear ruffles; you can be a jock, and you can still be a great computer scientist, or a great technologist, or a great product designer."
Mayer's fascination with technology didn't truly begin until her years at Stanford, where she purchased her first computer. "I had to be taught how to turn it on and even how to use a mouse," she said, per The Daily Beast. Though she had gone to school in hopes of becoming a doctor, Mayer was quickly pulled toward the endless problem-solving that computer science classes offered.
Unable to decide which of her 14 job offers to accept post-graduation, Mayer created a matrix to analyze the pros and cons of each position, eventually finding herself at Google because she believed their team consisted of "the smartest people."
Indeed, Yahoo just gained one of SIlicon Valley's most talented women. Click through the slideshow below to see her thoughts on being a woman in tech and to hear her advice to job seekers. Then let us know your opinions about Mayer's promotion in the comments section, or tweet us at @HuffPostTech.