Marissa Mayer, Yahoo CEO on Bloomberg TV

Marissa Mayer, a former Googler who currently serves as the chief executive officer of Yahoo, gave a very insightful interview to Bloomberg Television at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland.  Ahead of Yahoo’s earnings call next week, the new CEO covered her goals for the company and addressed the key technological trends that impact Yahoo today.

The first topic that Mayer choose to tackle is HR. She talked about the work culture at Yahoo and how the company’s products are reflective of a positive internal atmosphere, not just raw competence. She also brought up her commitment to “building the right team,” referring to recent management changes such as the dismissal of former chief security officer Justin Somaini.

Mayer’s goal of making Yahoo “the best place to work” is purely a strategic one – she wants to draw talented individuals who can help her realize her ambitions for the company. In her words:

“I think that there’s a real opportunity to help guide people’s daily habits in terms of what content they read. That is something that we are really working on. All of these daily habits–news, sports, games, finance, search, mail, answers, groups–these are all things we have been underinvested in. A little love will go a long way.”

This vision is centered on mobile and partnerships. Mayer points out that because Yahoo is not invested in any of the “four horseman of the Internet” – mobile hardware, mobile platforms, browsers, and social networking – the company will be able to cozy up to the big players in these areas. What Yahoo will bring to the table is context – “it’s not just about writing down who your friends are,” Mayer says. “It’s about taking that and finding useful content.”