Yovanno was previously the Chief Operating Officer of display ad megalith ValueClick. While the advertising economy in general is softening, the big widget plays appear to be going strong. Gigya reports that its technology is being seen by 174 million unique visitors monthly, up from a reported 150 million in early September.

Gigya provides the "send this to a friend" features used by widget makers who are then able to focus their energy on creation of other content and functionality. In addition to distribution, the company provides analytics and advertising. Gigya has landed some big clients, including the likes of CNET, DoubleClick, Electronic Arts, Levis, MTV, RockYou!, Toyota, Unilever and Walmart.

Yovanno's former employer, ValueClick, has struggled with tough times of late. According to ArsTechnica, the company received its second legal slap on the wrist this summer for failing to monitor for Adware being distributed by its affiliates and advertisers. The company admitted no wrong doing but agreed to pay a $1 million settlement in the class action suit. In spring ValueClick was penalized $2.3 million by the Federal Trade Commision for violating the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. Last week the company started selling off "non-core assets" in preparation for an ad market downturn.

The 36 year old Yovanno spent the last 8 years climbing the ladder at ValueClick, he was promoted to COO in January and just announced his resignation today.

Will Yovanno bring the shady practices of ValueClick with him to Gigya? The risk seems real that this veteran of a Web 1.0 ad network with a questionable reputation will look to monetize the social-media centered Gigya at all costs.