Yahoo’s ad sales in Mexico, the U.S., and Canada may soon take off. That’s the idea, at least, as Yahoo announced this afternoon that it’s hired Wayne Powers, a Time Inc. Media Group exec, to act as Senior Vice President, North American Advertising Sales.

Powers come to Yahoo with an impressive track record. At one point, he worked for food industry heavyweights Nestle and Dole. Later, he joined Time, and worked his way up through sales to head the Media Networks Inc. and Targeted Media divisions, eventually creating the Time Digital Network.

Then the most recent part of his corporate bio reads, “Powers, who was named President of the Time Inc. Media Group in March, 2007, currently oversees all automotive, financial services, consumer electronics and technology clients for Time Inc.’s Corporate sales and Marketing. Powers and his team bring clients unrivaled marketing solutions that span print, digital, mobile, and events, all in the context of Time Inc.’s trusted brands, including Time, Fortune, Sports Illustrated, In Style, People, Real Simple, and Essence, among others.”

So Powers should definitely be accustomed to handling big brands and impressive budgets, and his media experience isn’t limited to printed materials, either.

Ross Levinsohn, Executive Vice President of the Americas at Yahoo, observed in a statement, “Wayne is a proven leader and innovator who will bring a wealth of operating expertise and advertiser relationships to Yahoo!. His record of brand building with advertisers and his focus on driving revenue through creative executions will serve both Yahoo! and Madison Avenue well.”