The move looks designed to add a bit more stability to Yahoo’s European operations, which has seen a lot of comings and goings (mostly goings). Among them…

—In November Kristof Fahy left his position as the international marketing VP to join bookies William Hill.

—Also last year, Matt James, who had been appointed Yahoo’s UK sales director, decided against joining the company.

—James Tipple got promoted to senior marketing director for Europe from his previous role as consumer marketing director.

—In December 2008, Yahoo lost its Europe MD Toby Coppel.

On top of all this, there had been speculation in the press that Rabe himself would be leaving the company by June, too - although a spokesperson for Yahoo tells us that this is not the case.

During Yahoo’s earnings call in January, CEO Carol Bartz said that Yahoo was calling off its search for an executive to lead the company’s international operations, saying she was “sick of searching for an international leader” after not finding “anyone who was up to our needs.” Instead the company has restructured the geographies of its existing international executive team, which puts Rich Riley, head of Yahoo Europe, also in charge of the Middle East and Africa.