Twitter’s New CEO Linda Yaccarino: A master of the ‘velvet hammer’ approach, and far from foolish

After months of chaos, Elon Musk finds a new CEO for Twitter. But can she take the social media platform out of the woods?

“I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job. After that, I will just run the software and server teams,” – Tweeted Elon Musk on Tuesday 20th December 2022.

After months of chaos, Musk found a new CEO for the company. And she is far from foolish.

Musk had previously committed to adhering to the outcome of a Twitter poll in which 57.5% of users voted “yes” to his resignation from the position.

He finally paid heed to the voice of the public as he announced the appointment of Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO, who will officially join in six weeks.

Musk’s tenure as Twitter CEO has become a never-ending tale of tumult, featuring a barrage of mass layoffs and resignations, numerous lawsuits, account suspensions and restorations, the exposure of “Twitter files,” and the controversial matter of blue ticks, among other challenges. Last month, he replaced the iconic Twitter bird logo with a dog icon (Doge).

So, who is Linda Yaccarino?

Step forward corporate media heavyweight Linda Yaccarino.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Linda Yaccarino has been an indispensable figure at NBC Universal (NBCU) since 2011. She currently holds the position of Chairperson for Global Advertising and Partnerships. During her tenure, she has held several crucial roles within the company, including oversight of the cable entertainment and digital advertising sales division.

In the ad world, she is known as the ‘velvet hammer.’ In essence, a velvet hammer leader is a person —at any level in an organisation—who gets things done and done well, by leading with grace and eloquence.

Such leaders take into consideration the audience and actively listen to them. This is good news for Twitter users.
Since joining NBCU, Linda’s team has generated more than $100 billion in ad sales, expanded the company’s reach globally, forged groundbreaking commercial partnerships, launched the company’s ad-supported streaming service, and made massive investments in data and technology capabilities.

Linda’s LinkedIn profile mentions that “for all partners, she’s a sought-after connector, collaborator, and counselor; within her industry and company, she’s a committed change agent and consummate unifier.”

All these qualities will be needed to take Twitter out of the woods and make the company run effectively.

Linda’s appointment and her background could also prove to be a financial windfall for Twitter as it serves as a channel for advertisements. A significant proportion of the platform’s revenue is generated by brands that pay to promote themselves or their products to the vast user base (a number that has been falling since Musk took the reins).

Over the course of the past 17 years, Twitter has seen five individuals hold the position of CEO, with Linda now assuming the mantle as the sixth.

“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Chief Executive Officer at Twitter. I’ve long been inspired by Elon Musk’s vision to create a brighter future. Now, I’m excited to help bring that vision to Twitter and transform the business together. Everyone’s feedback is VITAL to Twitter’s future. And I’m here for all of that. Let’s please keep the conversation going and build Twitter 2.0 together!” Linda wrote on LinkedIn yesterday.

Following the arrival of the new CEO, Musk will now serve as both the Chairman of the Board and the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), with responsibility for overseeing products, software, and services.

Musk acquired the social media platform for a staggering $44 billion in October of last year.