Elon Musk has named media executive Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO of Twitter, months after he promised to step back from the role.
“I am excited to welcome Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO of Twitter!” Musk wrote in a tweet. She “will focus primarily on business operations, while I focus on product design and new technology,” he added.
Yaccarino announced that she was leaving her role as chairman of global advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal.
On Twitter, the seasoned advertising executive made her first public comments about her new role over the weekend. Responding to Musk’s announcement, she said, “I’ve long been inspired by your vision to create a brighter future. I’m excited to help bring this vision to Twitter and transform this business together!”
Thank you @elonmusk!
— Linda Yaccarino (@lindayacc) May 13, 2023
I’ve long been inspired by your vision to create a brighter future. I’m excited to help bring this vision to Twitter and transform this business together! https://t.co/BcvySu7K76
The news comes after she appeared with Musk at an industry conference for a session entitled “Twitter 2.0: From Conversations to Partnerships” last month.
Musk, who acquired the social media platform for a staggering $44 billion last year, promised he would find a new CEO to run Twitter 10 million people (57%) voted that he should step down as the head of Twitter in a poll. He had also faced pressure to appoint someone to lead the social media platform to focus on his other ventures, such as the electric carmaker Tesla and pioneering rocket firm SpaceX.
Who is Linda Yaccarino?
Linda Yaccarino’s profound expertise and deep-rooted connections within the advertising industry position her as the linchpin for Twitter’s future success.
Yaccarino, the 1985 Penn State University graduate, has served as the chair of global advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal where she acted as a strategic link, integrating NBCUniversal’s global networks, properties, and business units according to her LinkedIn profile. During her tenure, Yaccarino successfully integrated ad sales platforms following Comcast’s merger with NBC in 2011.
As chairman of advertising and client partnerships, she managed a 2,000-member team. Since joining NBCUniversal in 2011, NBCUniversal’s ad sales team has generated $100 billion in ad sales and forged partnerships with media companies including Twitter as well as Apple News, Snapchat, YouTube, and Buzzfeed.
Prior to NBCUniversal, Yaccarino held various positions at Turner Broadcasting System Inc. from 1996 to 2011, including executive vice president and chief operating officer.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Yaccarino serves as Chairman of the World Economic Forum’s Taskforce on the Future of Work. The 60-year-old New Yorker resides in Sea Cliff with her husband, Claude Madrazo, and their two children, Christian and Matthew.
