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A classic move by a startup hoping to recruit an executive is to offer him a board seat. So what to make of Zvents naming AdBrite executive Paul Levine to its board? Levine joined AdBrite, a San Francisco-based ad network, less than a year ago from Yahoo, where he ran that company's Yahoo Local properties. Since then, I've heard talk of high-level fights at AdBrite — the CEO and the head of sales yelling at each other behind closed doors, and constant turnover in the sales department.

Given that, is it any surprise Levine might be ready to bolt? From what we've heard of his achievements at Yahoo, he would make a fine CEO for an events-listing startup like Zvents — but perhaps the moments not quite right. It makes sense for Levine to keep his career options open while his AdBrite options vest. (Photo by James Duncan Davidson/O'Reilly Media)