Linda Yaccarino, a former advertising head at NBCUniversal, has been announced as the new CEO of Twitter, taking over from Elon Musk, who had previously indicated that he would be stepping down. Musk made the announcement via Twitter, saying that Yaccarino would be taking over in around six weeks, while he would transition to a position as Executive Chair and Chief Technology Officer. Speaking about her new role, Yaccarino said she would focus on business operations, while Musk would concentrate on product design and new technology.
Yaccarino has worked with NBCUniversal Media for over 10 years, most recently serving as chair of the company’s global advertising and partnerships for over two and a half years, according to her LinkedIn profile. The company confirmed that Yaccarino had left her role, effective immediately. “It has been an absolute honor to be part of Comcast NBCUniversal and lead the most incredible team. We’ve transformed our company and the entire industry — and I am so proud of what we’ve accomplished together, and grateful to my colleagues and mentors, especially Brian Roberts, Mike Cavanagh and the entire NBCU leadership team,” Yaccarino said in a statement.
Prior to her role at NBCUniversal, Yaccarino held management positions for several media sales outlets, before serving at Turner Broadcasting System for nearly two decades in various different roles, including executive vice president and chief operating officer. She joined NBCUniversal in 2011 as President of Cable Entertainment and Digital Ad Sales, overseeing the integration of the companies’ ad sales platforms. She then served as chairwoman of advertising and client partnerships for eight years, in which she was responsible for market strategy and advertising revenue for the company’s entire portfolio of broadcast, cable and digital assets.
Throughout her career, Yaccarino has pushed for the advertising industry to implement changes such as relying less heavily on Nielsen audience measurement ratings. She also introduced One Platform, a digital platform designed to make ad buying practices across different media easier, in order to compete with social media and traditional media companies.
“Linda’s expertise in TV advertising, combined with her digital savvy and understanding of Twitter’s capabilities, will be invaluable to us as we continue to build our business,” highlighted Patrick Pichette, Lead Independent Director of Twitter’s Board, in response to the appointment.
Yaccarino graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a degree in telecommunications in 1985 and currently lives in Sea Cliff, N.Y., with her husband and two children.
