Linda Yaccarino: the advertising executive Musk picked as new Twitter CEO

(Reuters) -Linda Yaccarino began her role as Twitter’s new CEO on Monday, about a month after Elon Musk named her as the new chief executive officer. The former advertising chief at NBCUniversal, is taking over Twitter as the company tries to reverse a plunge in ad revenue.

Yaccarino has been a key figure in modernizing the advertising business at NBCUniversal, which is owned by Comcast Corp (NASDAQ:).

Here are some facts about the new Twitter CEO:

AD CHIEF AT NBCU

Yaccarino spent a little less than 12 years at NBCUniversal (NBCU), where she was most recently the chairperson of global advertising and partnerships.

During her time with the company, she helmed the media network’s advertising strategy across television and digital properties and was also instrumental in the launch of ad-supported streaming service Peacock in 2020.

NEARLY 20 YEARS AT TURNER ENTERTAINMENT

Before NBCU, Yaccarino was at Turner Entertainment for about two decades in the roles of chief operating officer and executive vice president across its advertising sales, marketing and acquisitions divisions.

Turner Entertainment operates CNN and is owned by Warner Bros Discovery (NASDAQ:).

INTERVIEW WITH ELON MUSK

Yaccarino interviewed Elon Musk at an advertising conference in Miami last month, where she lauded his work ethic.

“Many of you in this room know me, and you know I pride myself on my work ethic,” she said, adding, “Buddy, I met my match.”

She also pressed him about advertisers’ concerns around negative content on Twitter.

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM

Yaccarino is the chairperson of the World Economic Forum’s Taskforce on Future of Work and sits on the WEF’s Media, Entertainment and Culture Industry Governors Steering Committee.

PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL ON SPORTS FITNESS AND NUTRITION

In 2018, Yaccarino was named by former U.S. President Donald Trump to the President’s Council on Sports Fitness and Nutrition.

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