Twitter owner Elon Musk has confirmed the appointment of former NBCUniversal advertising boss Linda Yaccarino to be Twitter’s new chief executive.
Mr Musk tweeted the news a day after confirming he had found a new person to take on the role.
He said that Ms Yaccarino “will focus primarily on business operations, while I focus on product design and new technology”.
Yaccarino has worked at NBCUniversal for nearly 12 years – with her team generating more than $100 billion in ad sales since 2011, her company bio notes. According to LinkedIn, Yaccarino previously served as NBC’s chair for advertising and client partnerships and as president of cable entertainment and digital advertising sales. Prior to her time with NBC, Yaccarino worked at global entertainment company Turner for almost two decades.
Yaccarino interviewed Musk on a Miami stage last month in front of hundreds of advertisers.
Luring advertisers is critical for Musk and Twitter after many fled in the early months after his takeover of the social media platform, fearing harm to their brands in the ensuing chaos. Musk said in late April that advertisers had returned, but provided no details.
Yaccarino could help restore advertisers’ faith in Twitter, ad agency DiGo founder and creative chief Mark DiMassimo said. He noted that Yaccarino successfully integrated and digitized ad sales at Comcast and NBC – and that her track record of cross-selling ads across different platforms could appeal to Musk as he tries to transform Twitter from a social media company to a bigger media platform.
“If anyone can translate the Musk vision into advantages for marketers she’ll be able to do it,” DiMassimo said. “Even though there’s skepticism and all marketers live in the `show me’ state right now with regard to Twitter, if in fact she does go to Twitter this is a powerfully reassuring move.”
Musk has long insisted he is not the company’s permanent CEO. The Tesla billionaire said in a tweet Thursday that his role will transition to being Twitter’s executive chairman and chief technology officer.
In mid-November, just a few weeks after buying the social media platform for $44 billion, he told a Delaware court that he does not want to be the CEO of any company.
Report: Elon Musk’s Choice for Twitter CEO Is NBC Advertising Exec and World Economic Forum Chair Linda Yaccarino
Elon Musk has reportedly chosen Linda Yaccarino, a seasoned media executive, World Economic Forum chairperson, and coronavirus vaccination campaign creator, to lead Twitter hoping to bring stability to the platform that has been recently characterized by turbulence and controversy.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Elon Musk has chosen Linda Yaccarino, a seasoned advertising executive with a history at NBC Universal, the World Economic Forum (WEF), and Covid-19 vaccination campaigns, to succeed him as the CEO of Twitter.
Elon Musk has reportedly chosen Linda Yaccarino, a seasoned media executive, World Economic Forum chairperson, and coronavirus vaccination campaign creator, to lead Twitter hoping to bring stability to the platform that has been recently characterized by turbulence and controversy.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Elon Musk has chosen Linda Yaccarino, a seasoned advertising executive with a history at NBC Universal, the World Economic Forum (WEF), and Covid-19 vaccination campaigns, to succeed him as the CEO of Twitter.
Elon Musk announced his decision to step down as CEO of the social media platform, reportedly choosing to hand the helm to Linda Yaccarino, in a move that signifies a significant change in leadership at Twitter. Yaccarino, an advertising executive at NBC Universal, is known for leading effective media campaigns and participating in international forums on important topics.
“Excited to announce that I’ve hired a new CEO for X/Twitter,” Musk posted Thursday. “She will be starting in ~6 weeks!”
Excited to announce that I’ve hired a new CEO for X/Twitter. She will be starting in ~6 weeks!
My role will transition to being exec chair & CTO, overseeing product, software & sysops.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 11, 2023
Yaccarino has had a remarkable amount of success during his time as chairman of Global Advertising and Partnerships at NBC Universal. She oversaw strategies that led to over $100 billion in ad sales and was instrumental in the network’s streaming service Peacock’s launch. It is likely that Musk is hoping she can fix Twitter’s massive loss of advertising revenue during his tenure.
She also chaired the taskforce on the future of work at the WEF, where she contributed to discussions and policies that shaped the global employment landscape in the wake of rapid technological advancements. Although conservatives are concerned about her WEF ties, others point to her appointment by President Donald Trump to serve a two-year term on his council of Sports Fitness and Nutrition in 2018.
Her work encompasses social causes as well. Yaccarino frequently collaborated with the government, most notably when she served as the Ad Council’s chair and collaborated with organizations, the White House, and even Pope Francis to develop a coronavirus vaccination campaign.
Conservatives are already hard at work researching the potential CEO to determine how she may impact Musk’s promise of free speech on Twitter.
Her work encompasses social causes as well. Yaccarino frequently collaborated with the government, most notably when she served as the Ad Council’s chair and collaborated with organizations, the White House, and even Pope Francis to develop a coronavirus vaccination campaign.
Meet Linda Yaccarino, the new CEO of Twitter.
In 2020 interview, Yaccarino praised Jeff Shell and Brian Roberts, her bosses for taking the right steps to “fight social justice and equality”. Also, Yaccarino commended her company’s progress of hiring “50% of women and 50% people… pic.twitter.com/u73vrpnEmA
— I Meme Therefore I Am (@ImMeme0) May 12, 2023