Coinspeaker
NBCU’s Linda Yaccarino Allegedly in Talks to Become Next Twitter CEO
According to Wall Street Journal report, NBCU’s Head of Advertising Linda Yaccarino is all set to become the next Chief Executive Officer of Twitter. The news comes hours after Elon Musk’s announcement via Twitter that he has appointed a new CEO.
Yaccarino, who devoted a major part of her life and career to WarnerMedia’s TV operations before joining NBCUniversal ten years ago, oversees the Comcast-owned firm’s ad-sales operations around the world.
In an article written on Yaccarino ten years ago, she was coined as the woman who wouldn’t do with ‘small steps’. Known for her strong negotiating skills, Liz Janeman, the then executive veep of advertising sales at Cabler Ovation, called her incredibly aggressive.
Yaccarino has recently led projects to produce new cash flows through e-commerce and worked to revamp the way the TV industry estimates its audiences for advertisers aspiring to offer more credibility. A spokesperson for NBCUniversal’s ad-sales business claimed that he wasn’t aware of any information about a change in Yaccarino’s status with the firm.
However, an individual aware of the recent proceedings suggested NBCU might have to rework the presentation because of Yaccarino’s possible release. The Madison Avenue expert is what Twitter needs today. Since the power shift to Elon Musk in October for $44 billion, the social media platform has lost advertisers as the CEO can not stop experimenting with its new features in real time.
Musk has withdrawn the blue-tick feature that confirms identities, only making them available if the customers pay extra for it. He has also offered new access to accounts that were initially banned for writing wrongful or offensive material.
However, there were speculations of other top executives who could be a good fit for the position. For example, Nada Stirratt, a veteran digital advertising executive who resigned from Facebook and has previously also worked with Viacom as well as News Corp and was the Chief Executive officer of Verve Mobile, was also considered as one of the leading names for the spot.
Yaccarino, over the recent months, has assisted Twitter in re-establishing its repertoire with advertising agencies. In April, she interviewed Musk at an industry event in Miami Beach, and NBCUniversal shook hands on an agreement with Twitter that will create content associated with the 2024 Paris Olympics available on the social site.
According to a former senior marketing executive at Bank of America Lou Paskalis, Yaccarino has a great interest in Twitter and sees an opportunity there.
Her departure will open the discussion for the new ad-sales operation head. A possible successor was Laura Molen, who, however, exited the company last year. Rumors are rife that Mark Lazarus, the NBCU executive who supervises the firm’s streaming and TV businesses, could potentially overtake the ad-sales part.
NBCU’s Linda Yaccarino Allegedly in Talks to Become Next Twitter CEO
