Where should we know Linda Yaccarino from?
Linda Yaccarino (60) has worked in the advertising world for over thirty years, of which the past ten years as head of the advertising department of media company NBCUniversal. There she emphasized, among other things, the importance of understanding the effects that advertisements have, and better ways to measure that, according to The Wall Street Journal.
In addition to her work at NBCUniversal, Yaccarino is also involved in the World Economic Forum, a platform for consultation between companies, politicians, academics and the media. There she is chair of the ‘Future of Work’ task force.
Why is she suddenly in the news now?
With “enthusiasm”, Elon Musk announced in a tweet on Thursday that he has found a new CEO for Twitter. „She will be starting in ~6 weeks!” It is still unclear who his successor will be. But the name leaked through The Wall Street Journal: Linda Yaccarino. The newspaper reports that based on information from insiders. On Friday, NBCUniversal also announced her departure On. Soon after, it was confirmed that she is taking to Twitter.
It’s been a busy few days for Yaccarino: half the announcement of her new job came the day before NBCUniversal’s New York ad pitch — the company’s largest annual event. The question is what Musk’s choice of Yaccarino says about her: Musk previously said he was looking for someone “crazy enough” to take over his position.
Musk himself will also continue to hold top positions in his company, as a member of the board and as a technical director. He will focus on scientific and technological issues.
What is striking about Elon Musk’s choice of Linda Yaccarino?
First, the way Musk came to the choice to appoint a new CEO in the first place: via a poll on Twitter, he asked users whether they wanted him to step down. The majority voted in favour. Musk now – six months later – puts his money where his mouth is and announced on Twitter on Friday evening that he has found a new CEO, and that she will start in about six weeks.
Secondly, with the appointment of Yaccarino, a woman will soon be at the head of the tech company – while Musk earlier especially women fired in Twitter’s reorganization following its acquisition. Two of those women filed lawsuits — one of many currently pending against the company.
What is the big challenge for Linda Yaccarino?
First: satisfying the capricious Elon Musk, which is a chore in itself. But there is also work to be done for Yaccarino. The choice of her seems to say something about Twitter’s business strategy: trying to get advertisers back.
Twitter lost a large share of top advertisers after the Musk acquisition, reported CNN in February. Major brands such as Coca-Cola, Unilever and Jeep withdrew due to dissatisfaction with the course taken by Musk. Advertising costs fell by 60 percent. The fact that Musk is now attracting an advertising giant with Yaccarino will most likely have something to do with that.
In the absence of columnist Marike Stellinga, who is on writing leave, NRC chooses a person of the week every Saturday.
A version of this article also appeared in the newspaper of May 13, 2023.