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Linda Yaccarino

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Linda Yaccarino
Yaccarino in 2014
Born (1963-12-21) December 21, 1963 (age 60)
EducationPennsylvania State University (BA)
Occupation(s)CEO of X Corp. and Twitter (currently rebranding to X)
PredecessorElon Musk
SpouseClaude Madrazo
Children2

Linda Yaccarino (born December 21, 1963) is an American media executive. She previously held the position of chairman of global advertising & partnerships for NBCUniversal.[1] In June 2023, Yaccarino succeeded Elon Musk as the chief executive officer of X Corp.[2]

Early life and education

Yaccarino grew up in Deer Park, New York.[3] She graduated from Pennsylvania State University's Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications with a bachelor's degree in telecommunications in 1985.[4]

Career

Yaccarino's President's Council portrait, 2018

Yaccarino worked at Turner Entertainment for 15 years, becoming executive vice president and chief operating officer. She is credited with modernizing the company's ad sales strategies.[5][6]

Yaccarino joined NBCUniversal in October 2011.[5] As the head of NBCUniversal's advertising sales, she played a key role in the launch of the Peacock streaming service.[1]

Yaccarino joined the Ad Council in 2014. Yaccarino assumed the position of chair of the Ad Council's board of directors in January 2021, for a term that ran until June 30, 2022.[7] As chair, Yaccarino partnered with the Biden administration in 2021 to create a coronavirus vaccination campaign that featured Pope Francis.[8]

In 2018, President Donald Trump appointed her to the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition.[9]

Yaccarino resigned from NBCUniversal on May 12, 2023, and on the same day Elon Musk announced that Yaccarino would be the new chief executive officer of X Corp. and Twitter.[10] Yaccarino had long expressed an interest in Twitter. On three occasions while at NBCUniversal, Yaccarino proposed that Comcast executives buy Twitter outright. Early conversations around a potential $3 billion offer never resulted in a deal.[11]

Fortune and The New Republic described Yaccarino as a former Trump appointee who follows a number of conspiracy theorist and far-right accounts on Twitter.[12][13] On her appointment, the Financial Times noted that Yaccarino's previous work with the World Economic Forum had earned backlash from some "more conspiracy-minded Musk fans" who distrusted international political organizations; Musk, a harsh critic of the WEF, reassured fans that Yaccarino's links to the organization would not harm his self-proclaimed commitment to free speech on Twitter.[14]

During Musk's and Yaccarino's leadership, the platform has been noted for a surge in hate speech.[15] This led at least two brands to suspend advertising on Twitter.[16]

Throughout her tenure at X, Yaccarino has been criticized as a CEO in name only, undermined by Musk's presence and behavior. Upon her appointment, experts were concerned Yaccarino's role would be an example of the glass cliff. Yaccarino has said the implication that she had not earned her role saddened her, stating "I literally went to the business world not even knowing being a woman was a thing." [11][17]

Personal life

Yaccarino and her husband, Claude Madrazo, have two children and one grandchild. They live in Sea Cliff, New York.[18][11] She is Catholic.[19][20]

References

  1. ^ a b Jessica Toonkel; Suzanne Vranica; Alexa Corse (May 11, 2023). "NBCUniversal's Linda Yaccarino Is in Talks to Become Twitter CEO". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Wikidata Q118304293. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  2. ^ Frier, Sarah (June 5, 2023). "Twitter's New CEO Linda Yaccarino Has First Day in the Role". Bloomberg News.
  3. ^ Guthrie, Marisa (May 6, 2016). "TV Upfronts: NBCUniversal Ad Sales Chief Talks TV's 'Measurement Crisis' (Q&A) – The Hollywood Reporter". Hollywoodreporter.com. Archived from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  4. ^ DiSanto, Matt (May 12, 2023). "Twitter's next CEO is a Penn State graduate. Check out her career highlights, background". Centre Daily Times. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Nellie Andreeva (October 31, 2011). "Turner's Linda Yaccarino Named President of Cable/Digital Ad Sales For NBCUniversal – Deadline". Deadline.com. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  6. ^ Chmielewski, Dawn; Dang, Sheila (May 12, 2023). "Ex-NBCUniversal ad chief Yaccarino named new Twitter CEO, Musk says". Reuters. Archived from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  7. ^ Dade Hayes (January 6, 2021). "NBCU Ad Chief Linda Yaccarino Named Chair Of Ad Council's Board Of Directors – Deadline". Deadline.com. Archived from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  8. ^ "Who is Linda Yaccarino, Elon Musk's pick for Twitter CEO?". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on May 13, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  9. ^ Lynch, Jason (May 4, 2018). "Trump Names NBCU's Linda Yaccarino to the President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition". www.adweek.com. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  10. ^ Lillian Rizzo (May 12, 2023). "Elon Musk confirms Twitter CEO hire: Linda Yaccarino". Cnbc.com. Archived from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  11. ^ a b c Murphy, Hannah (September 27, 2023). "Why Linda Yaccarino took on the wildest job in Silicon Valley". Financial Times. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  12. ^ "Linda Yaccarino has just quit NBC. This is what her Twitter account reveals about Elon Musk's rumored choice for CEO". Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  13. ^ "Elon Musk Is the Only One Happy About New Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino". The New Republic. Retrieved August 11, 2023. [Yaccarino] follows just some 1,161 accounts; among them are rabid far-right conspiracy theorists
  14. ^ "Linda Yaccarino: an advertising veteran enters the wild world of Musk's Twitter". Financial Times. May 12, 2023. Archived from the original on May 13, 2023. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  15. ^ Woodward, Alex (June 5, 2023). "Elon Musk promotes transphobic content as hate speech surges on his far-right platform". The Independent. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  16. ^ Duffy, Clare; Fung, Brian (August 17, 2023). "Two brands suspend advertising on X after their ads appeared next to pro-Nazi content". CNN. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  17. ^ Elliott, Vittoria. "Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino Is Teetering on the Glass Cliff". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  18. ^ Anderson, Mae (May 12, 2023). "What to know about Twitter's new CEO Linda Yaccarino". Associated Press. Archived from the original on May 13, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  19. ^ "Can Linda Yaccorino keep Elon Musk on a tight enough leash to succeed?". Fortune. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  20. ^ "Who is Linda Yaccarino, really? Former colleagues reveal the tough "Long Island lady" Elon Musk has chosen to run Twitter". Yahoo Finance. May 14, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
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