Elon Musk on May 12 said that Linda Yaccarino will be the new CEO of Twitter, and will primarily focus on business operations, while Musk will focus more on product design and new technology. In the next six weeks, Musk will step down as the Twitter CEO to make way for the new leader.
Yaccarino has been with NBCUniversal for more than 20 years and has held many leadership positions. Currently, she is responsible for NBCUniversal’s global advertising and partnerships businesses. She is the first female Twitter CEO and the first to come from a non-tech background. All ex-Twitter CEOs were from a tech background. Earlier on Friday, she announced that she was leaving her role as chairman of global advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal.
As CEO, Yaccarino will face a variety of challenges such as an advertiser exodus, service disruptions, regulatory scrutiny, and a growing list of rivals. Musk’s controversial policy changes and statements have also alienated some long-time Twitter users.
Even as Musk steps back from the CEO role, he will likely still maintain significant control over the future direction of the company. Musk previously said he would serve as the company’s executive chairman and CTO, as well as being the owner of the platform.
