Twitter has announced that Linda Yaccarino, the former advertising chief of NBCUniversal, will be taking over as CEO of the social media platform. The move comes after a period of turmoil for Twitter, which has seen a decline in revenue and an exodus of marketers since Elon Musk took over last year.
Musk, who bought Twitter for $44 billion, has indicated that he will only be in charge for a limited time to complete the organizational overhaul he thought the company needed to prosper. During his tenure, Musk has made radical changes to the platform, including slashing thousands of jobs, scaling back content moderation, and allowing accounts previously banned for breaking rules to return. Musk's abrupt policy changes and neglect of his other businesses have drawn criticism.
Yaccarino's appointment as CEO of Twitter may be an opportunity to restore the platform's reputation among advertisers. At NBC, Yaccarino helped launch the ad-supported streaming service Peacock and has led partnerships with a variety of tech companies, including Snapchat, YouTube, and, of course, Twitter. She has a track record of building innovative teams and platforms.
While Musk has already found a new CEO for Twitter, he has not named the individual. However, Yaccarino's close relationship with Musk, and her experience in advertising and partnerships, make her a strong candidate for the position. In a recent interview with Musk at a major advertising conference in Miami, Yaccarino emphasized that what advertisers are looking for from Twitter is protection.
Yaccarino's appointment comes at an awkward time for NBCUniversal, which is scheduled to give its annual presentation to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall in New York on Monday. Yaccarino would normally have played a major role in these presentations, but is not expected to appear now. The company is also still reeling from the firing of its CEO, Jeff Shell, last month over a sexual harassment complaint.
Overall, Yaccarino's appointment as CEO of Twitter is an opportunity to restore the platform's reputation among advertisers and improve its financial performance. With her experience in advertising and partnerships, Yaccarino may be just the person to help Twitter achieve its goals.