Elon Musk, the controversial billionaire, has announced the appointment of Linda Yaccarino as the new Chief Executive Officer of the social media platform, Twitter. Yaccarino, a former advertising director at NBCUniversal, is set to oversee the business operations of Twitter.
Yaccarino, a Pennsylvania State University graduate, and resident of Long Island, New York, had previously spent 15 years at Turner Entertainment before moving to NBCUniversal. Here she managed 2,000 employees and was in charge of launching the media outlet’s streaming service.
Musk has stated that he looks forward to working with Yaccarino to transform Twitter into “X”, an all-in-one application. The appointment of Yaccarino came after Musk sparked speculations by stating earlier this week that he had found someone to fill the position without revealing the identity.
Musk, who purchased the platform last year for $44 billion, needed a leader who could manage the company while he focuses on his other ventures, which include electric car manufacturer Tesla and rocket company SpaceX. With less than 9% of Fortune 500 tech companies being led by women, Yaccarino’s appointment stands as a rare example of a woman at the helm of a major tech company.
Claire Atkinson, from Business Insider, who has been following Yaccarino’s career for two decades, expressed that her experience in advertising could benefit Twitter. The platform has seen a steep decline in ad sales since Musk’s acquisition. According to Atkinson, if Twitter aims to monetize better, Yaccarino would be the ideal person for the job, as she is the type of person Musk needs and won’t be easily overrun.
Yaccarino will face the tough challenge of leading a company that has struggled to be profitable while dealing with scrutiny over how Twitter handles the spread of false information and hate speech issues. Critics have expressed concern after Musk dismissed the staff responsible for abuse control and began charging for blue checks, which were previously a sign of an authenticated account.
Despite these challenges, Musk has acknowledged a “massive” drop in revenue but told the BBC last month that businesses were returning. His goal is to make Twitter profitable.
Yaccarino’s appointment has been met with some immediate skepticism on social media. Her role in the World Economic Forum, negatively considered as “globalist” by the right, has not been well-received in some sectors. Also, her political participation in a sports, fitness, and nutrition council under former President Donald Trump has been questioned.
However, Musk, known for appointing women in leadership roles at SpaceX and Tesla, remains confident in his decision.