Sources: NBCUniversal's head of advertising Linda Yaccarino is in talks to become the new CEO of Twitter

Twitter owner Elon Musk said earlier he had picked a new chief executive, without naming the person — NBCUniversal's head of advertising Linda Yaccarino is in talks to become …

Wall Street Journal 2023-05-12

Context & Ripple Effects

The reported talks foreshadowed a formal division of labor later described in coverage: Yaccarino was named CEO to run business operations, while Musk was to focus on product design and new technology.

The choice put Twitter's commercial reset at the center of the leadership transition. Later reporting framed repairing advertiser relationships as Yaccarino's principal operating challenge, making her media-sales background consequential rather than incidental.

First-order effects

Twitter gains a prospective CEO with senior advertising leadership experience, signaling that revenue operations and advertiser engagement would have a dedicated executive owner.
Musk can separate day-to-day business management from his product and technology role if the talks result in an appointment.

Second-order effects

Advertisers and agencies gain a clearer senior counterpart for negotiations, though confidence depends on whether the new CEO has room to act independently of Musk.
Twitter's commercial teams would be pushed to translate the leadership change into advertiser-facing products and assurances; later coverage pointed to plans for full-screen video ads as one such revenue-oriented response.

Third-order effects

The episode illustrates how owner-led platforms may pair a high-profile product owner with an experienced commercial operator to restore revenue relationships without fully changing control.
If that model persists, the effectiveness of platform leadership will be judged less by the title of the CEO than by the practical division of authority between the owner and the business executive.

The trend: Platform owners are increasingly separating product control from commercial management as advertising-dependent businesses seek to rebuild market trust.

Discussion

@dylanbyers Dylan Byers on x
NEW: Elon Musk plans to make NBCUniversal advertising chief LINDA YACCARINO the next CEO of Twitter, per two sources familiar....
@semaforben Ben Smith on x
Twitter is back in the big advertising business (if this happens), sorry to everyone who paid for a subscription, or thought it might become a Tucker-centric media company. https://twitter.com/...
@daveleebbg Dave Lee on x
There are already fault lines between Musk's “free speech” goals and Yaccarino's ability - if she takes the gig — to create a successful ad business at Twitter. https://twitter.com/...
@moorehn Heidi N. Moore on x
This is a classic glass cliff situation, in which a failing company hires a woman to clean up messes made by arrogant men. Then she becomes the scapegoat because it's impossible to clean up. https://twitter.com/...
@maxberger Max Berger on x
Reportedly incoming Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino was a Trump administration appointee. (h/t @HelenKennedy) https://www.adweek.com/...
@yashar @yashar on x
In Linda Yaccarino, Elon Musk gets a CEO who is a seasoned ad executive who generally shares his political leanings. But she's also the Chairman of a World Economic Forum task force so she can comfortably liaise with Twitter's current investors and advertisers around the world.
@steinkobbe @steinkobbe on x
By all accounts this new CEO appears to be a right wing ghoul just like Elon but the bluecheck community is not happy https://twitter.com/...
@karaswisher Kara Swisher on x
Here is my first best guess here: ⁦@lindayacc⁩ of NBC. I will have more. (Musk says has found new CEO for Twitter | Reuters) https://www.reuters.com/...
@loupas @loupas on x
With regard to @karaswisher's prediction that @lindayacc will be the next CEO of @Twitter, I can say that she would be my first choice, and my only choice, to save the platform from the hands of its owner. I still cannot understand why she'd subject herself to @elonmusk, however!…
@maxberger Max Berger on x
New Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino seems like a certified MAGA supporter. She also follows: - Sidney Powell - Lin Wood - Jack Posobiec - Libs of TikTok - Ian Miles Cheung - Andrew Sullivan - Richard Grenell - Tim Scott - Mike Pompeo
@alexeheath Alex Heath on x
“She's tough as fucking nails and she's always wanted this job,” a former colleague says. “It's perfect.” https://www.theverge.com/...
@garyblack00 Gary Black on x
If true, Linda Yaccarino would be a great CEO of Twitter. She gets the ad business and understands the needs of advertisers, can talk their language (ROI/brand safety) and will speak her mind while being deferential. $TSLA @elonmusk https://www.wsj.com/...
@richlightshed @richlightshed on x
🔥 Twitter needs ad revenue and who better to drive ads than @lindayacc Would be amazing @LouPas Smart move @elonmusk @Twitter BIG loss for @NBCUniversal and @peacock https://twitter.com/...
@pkafka Peter Kafka on x
This is April 18 interview is one of the reasons media peeps are immediately speculating that NBC ad boss Linda Yaccarino will be Elon's new chief twit. https://www.youtube.com/...
@eden_holdings @eden_holdings on x
This should drive much needed advertising sales for Twitter. Seems like the right woman for the job. 👌🏻 https://www.theverge.com/...
@pkafka Peter Kafka on x
@digitalshields Ps if you like 3d chess and you want to make sure your new ceo has no choice but to leave her ad job to come work for you - no backsies - you'd announce it today.
@wexler Nu Wexler on x
A comms team would have known that you can't tease a new CEO hire and expect the news to hold for 6 weeks
@neilcybart Neil Cybart on x
Musk continuing to bet on advertising for Twitter revenue gets a giant 👎 from me. It's not the right move. https://twitter.com/...
@karlbode Karl Bode on x
a right wing Comcast executive https://twitter.com/...
@adhutchinson Andrew Hutchinson on x
@MattNavarra I'm tipping that Yaccarino's experience in building Peacock is the key here, with Musk looking to establish a bigger shift towards exclusive video content, building on Tucker Carlson's new show. Twitter tried similar years ago, but maybe now it'll fare better
@galenward Galen Ward on x
@JoannaStern So was that a “funding secured” sort of tweet? Hopefully it gives her leverage.
@gavinpurcell Gavin Purcell on x
Linda is actually awesome. Worked with her at NBC for a bit and while I don't know if she can fix what ails Twitter, I think she's very good at what she does. https://twitter.com/...
@ashleygjovik @ashleygjovik on x
Friendly reminder that NBC was acquired by Comcast A Comcast Cable exec is taking over Twitter I guess the only thing worse than Comcast's customer service would be replying to any inquiry with a poop emoji - so here we are https://twitter.com/...
@alexeheath Alex Heath on x
adding to the chorus of good reporting on this that has already come out today: I'm told @lindayacc been wanting the Twitter CEO job.. and it looks like she's getting it! https://www.theverge.com/...
@jtoonkel Jessica Toonkel on x
SCOOP: NBCUniversal's head of advertising Linda Yaccarino is in talks to become the new CEO of Twitter, according to people familiar with the situation https://www.wsj.com/... via @WSJ
@erinbiba Erin Biba on x
So @ParkerMolloy went through all her Twitter likes (documented over on Bluesky) and yeah she's a right-wing MAGA asshole. No surprises there. https://twitter.com/...
@maxberger Max Berger on x
Linda Yaccarino (@lindayacc), the woman who is reportedly the new CEO of Twitter, follows: - Chaya Raichik - Jesse Watters - Michael Shellenberger - Ron DeSantis - The Babylon Bee - Giorgia Meloni - Maye Musk - Catturd - Vivek Ramaswamy - Tulsi Gabbard - Bari Weiss
@justinbaragona Justin Baragona on x
Looks like Kara was right. https://www.wsj.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@kerrymflynn Kerry Flynn on x
👀 “Musk and Yaccarino both attended a conference in Napa hosted by ad giant WPP on Tuesday. They were on stage back-to-back, a source in attendance,” tells @sarafischer https://twitter.com/...
@ashtonpittman Ashton Pittman on x
She'll be fired the moment she does something Elon doesn't like (or refuses to do something he wants her to do). https://twitter.com/...
Vox Shirin Ghaffary on x
Elon Musk says he'll step down as Twitter CEO. But he's not going anywhere.
@Cdespinosa@mastodon.social Chris Espinosa on mastodon
@Techmeme — “I'll be the product guy — You be the CEO and my boss — But I'll be the Chairman and your boss” — That's been tried before
@thedextriarchy@mastodon.social Adi Robertson on mastodon
Congrats to Elon Musk on achieving the platonic ideal of the glass cliff https://www.theverge.com/...
@karaswisher Kara Swisher on x
Why Linda? Ad powerhouse and well liked. It's a ceo job for her, so upward. She can obvi tolerate assholes since she has been in media for a brick. Elon can work well with women leaders unlike many tech bros (see @gwynneshot). If she can pull it off, and it can be pulled off if..…
@phil_lewis_ Philip Lewis on x
It's Elizabeth Holmes isn't it https://twitter.com/...
@fonsdk Mathias Føns on x
Twitter's new CEO https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@aishacounts Aisha Counts on x
The guessing game begins. Some picks: Ella Irwin, Robyn Denholm, Gwynne Shotwell or Linda Yaccarino https://www.bloomberg.com/...
@karaswisher Kara Swisher on x
As if https://twitter.com/...
@charlesarthur Charles Arthur on x
He'll be exec chairman (so effectively has power over the CEO) *and* CTO, a job that answers to the CEO? What happens if the CEO wants to overrule the CTO - do they ask the exec chair? This from the guy who doesn't recognise when a graph is presenting misleading data? Concerning.…
@yellowflashguy @yellowflashguy on x
If it's Susan Wojcicki, Twitter is screwed. https://twitter.com/...
@goangelo Angelo Carusone on x
fwiw: this would be my best guess too. She's carried a lot of water for Musk in ad world from the beginning. Also, if it turns out to be her, nbc should immediately investigate the expanded partnership that nbc just inked with Twitter for any potential conflicts. Sketchy. https:/…
@martinsfp @martinsfp on x
After reading @techmeme's tweet and then the first five words of the next one, I thought @FrancesHaugen was announcing she's CEO of Twitter. https://twitter.com/...
@drewb Drew Benvie on x
You could say the product, software and system has fared the worst since Musk took over at Twitter. Who's going to tell the emperor about his new clothes https://twitter.com/...
@asilbwrites Amanda Silberling on x
potential candidates from the thirty (30) women elon follows: katherine boyle (GP at a16z) linda yaccarino (chair at nbcu) ella irwin (twitter trust and safety head) tasha keeney (director of investment analysis at ARK) cathie wood (CEO at ARK)
@danprimack Dan Primack on x
Let the guessing games begin... https://twitter.com/...
@drewb Drew Benvie on x
One of the most interesting tech execs ever has to be Marissa Mayer from her Google years. Next level work rate, spokesperson and leadership. Just saying. https://twitter.com/...
@parikpatelcfa @parikpatelcfa on x
A comeback story for the ages https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@junlper @junlper on x
proud to announce i'm the new CEO and my first action is stuffing elon into a spacex exploding rocket and launching him into orbit https://twitter.com/...
@kreichley Kendall on x
The market approves of @elonmusk tweet. https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@ejselley Ed Selley on x
Can't wait. https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@mgsiegler M.G. Siegler on x
https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@zxxivmusk @zxxivmusk on x
@elonmusk Is the new CEO is @shivon?
@roxdtvc Roxana del Toro on x
I'm incredibly excited to be stepping into this role and can't thank @elonmusk et al enough for their belief in me. I can't wait to keep Twitter on the path to the bird app we all know and love. Please direct all questions to my publicist at this time. https://twitter.com/...
@yair_rosenberg Yair Rosenberg on x
Remember, she goes by Liz now, not Elizabeth https://twitter.com/...
@attorneynora Nora Benavidez on x
I wrote for @CNN in December that @elonmusk should step down and put in his place a CEO with human rights expertise. It is imperative for moderation, application of company policies, correcting course on trust and credibility. https://www.cnn.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@emptywheel @emptywheel on x
Congrats to LibsOfTikTok, for getting paid for all the work destroying Twitter she's already doing! https://twitter.com/...
@garyblack00 Gary Black on x
Awesome! Great for $TSLA SH and great for Twitter. https://twitter.com/...
@lanceulanoff Lance Ulanoff on x
If only it were @karaswisher https://twitter.com/...
@edzitron Ed Zitron on x
I wonder how mad Kara Swisher is that it isn't her lol https://twitter.com/...
@karaswisher Kara Swisher on x
The @marissamayer suggestion? She's a top techie and so is he, so two in that box is not happening. Also though Google impressive, she did not drape herself in glory at Yahoo. Also, she is rich and doing what she wants, so what does she need that red-pilled headache for?
@nichcarlson Nich Carlson on x
I hope it's Marissa Mayer https://twitter.com/...
@dylanbyers Dylan Byers on x
NEW: Sheryl Sandberg tells me it is *not* her, so that's one off the list. @karaswisher posits @lindayacc from NBCU, but they won't answer my calls. https://twitter.com/...
@kberkopes Kyle Berkopes on x
@BreezerGalway @elonmusk My guess is he'll promote asskisser-in-chief Ella Irwin.

Chronicles