The rumors are true: Elon Musk has selected Linda Yaccarino, a prominent advertising executive from NBC Universal, as the new CEO of Twitter. Musk made the announcement on Twitter, stating that he is looking forward to working with Yaccarino to transform the social media platform into the “everything app,” designated as X. The appointment of Yaccarino is seen as a smart move, as Twitter’s advertising revenue has plummeted in recent times. Musk will remain as chairman and CTO, in charge of overseeing the product, software, and sysops.
Yaccarino has been a Chairman of Global Advertising & Partnerships at NBCU since 2011. She spent almost 20 years at Turner as an executive vice president in advertising before joining NBCU. In 2018, former president Donald Trump appointed her to the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition.
Yaccarino has worked in the advertising industry for a long time and has a proven track record of success. During an interview with Musk at an advertising conference in Miami last month, Yaccarino praised the business mogul and encouraged audience members to provide feedback to him. She shares Musk’s belief that freedom of speech does not mean freedom of reach, particularly when it comes to advertisers.
The appointment of Yaccarino is significant for Twitter, which has struggled to monetize its platform effectively. Musk’s attempts to monetize the blue check, Twitter’s way of verifying user accounts, have failed to yield the expected results. The company’s inconsistent content moderation policies and verification systems have caused it to hemorrhage advertisers, resulting in the layoffs of crucial teams for revenue generation, such as its sales team.
The Musk-Yaccarino duo already appears to have a rapport, which bodes well for Twitter’s future. Yaccarino’s appointment as CEO is expected to bring in a fresh perspective and innovative ideas to revive Twitter’s fortunes in the advertising industry.
