NBCUniversal’s former head of advertising is revealed as the new boss of the social network.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe head of advertising at NBCUniversal, Linda Yaccarino, has stepped down amid reports that she has been tapped to lead Twitter.
NBCUniversal said Ms Yaccarino was leaving, “effective immediately”, after 12 years with the media company.
It followed reports that she was in talks with billionare Elon Musk to be the chief executive of Twitter.
Mr Musk posted on Thursday that he had found a new boss and “she” would start in six weeks.
He did not name the new chief executive in his post on the platform and the company has not confirmed the move.
The entrepreneur – who bought the social media platform last year for $44bn – has been under pressure to find someone else to lead the company and refocus his attention on his other businesses, which include electric carmaker Tesla and rocket firm SpaceX.
Mr Musk said he would remain involved at Twitter as executive chairman and chief technology officer.
Ms Yaccarino would bring to Twitter deep experience in the advertising industry, where Mr Musk’s takeover of Twitter has raised questions.
Mr Musk immediately fired thousands of staff, including people who had been tasked with dealing with abusive posts.
He has also overhauled the way the service authenticates accounts, charging for blue ticks in a move critics said would facilitate the spread of misinformation.
Many big companies halted their spending on the platform in the weeks after he took charge, concerned about how their brands might be affected by changes he was making.
That was a big blow to Twitter, which has historically depended on advertising to make money.
Mr Musk told the BBC last month that many of those companies had returned.