After a tumultuous stint as CEO of Twitter – which included posting a poll asking whether he should step down from the role – Elon Musk has announced that NBCUniversal’s Linda Yaccarino will be taking over the top job.
“I am excited to welcome Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO of Twitter!” Musk wrote on Saturday (Australian time).
“@LindaYacc will focus primarily on business operations, while I focus on product design & new technology.
“Looking forward to working with Linda to transform this platform into X, the everything app.”
In reply, Yaccarino wrote “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!”
Yaccarino joins Twitter after 11 years at NBCUniversal, where she was most recently Chairman of Global Advertising and Partnerships. In her time with the company, she was head of a 2000 strong global team, and played a pivotal role in the launch of the streaming service Peacock.
Before NBCUniversal, Yaccarino worked with Turner Entertainment as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Ad Sales. Turner Entertainment’s networks are now a subsidiary of Warner Bros.
A member of the USA’s Ad Council since 2014, Yaccarino served as chair of the Ad Council’s board of directors from January 2021 until June 2022. During her term as Chair, she worked with the Biden administration to create a Covid-19 vaccine campaign that reached 200 million Americans, and featured Pope Francis.
Announcing her resignation from NBCUniversal, Yaccarino said “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.”
Mark Marshall, currently President, Advertising Sales and Client Partnerships, will become interim Chairman of NBCUniversal’s Advertising and Partnerships group, reporting to Mark Lazarus, Chairman, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming.