Elon Musk has announced that NBCUniversal’s head of advertising, Linda Yaccarino, will become Twitter’s next CEO. Mr. Yaccarino is expected to take over the reins of the troubled company in about six weeks, but Mr. Musk has vowed not to go anywhere.
“We are thrilled to welcome Linda Yaccarino as Twitter’s new CEO!” Musk tweeted (opens in new tab) “@LindaYacc will focus primarily on business operations, while I will focus on product design and new technology. I look forward to working with Linda to transform this platform into X, the app for everything.”
In October 2022, Musk said, “Acquiring Twitter is accelerator (opens in new tab) This reflects his ambition to reinvent a struggling platform as an all-in-one site for news, communications, online shopping, payment processing and much more. What exactly is he thinking and how is he thinking? It’s unclear if he intends to make that happen, but Musk rebranded Twitter to “X,” at least legally, in April. X.com (opens in new tab) This is the name of the online bank he co-founded in 1999, which later became PayPal.
“Thank you @elonmusk!” Yaccarino tweeted in response to Musk’s welcome. “I have long been inspired by your vision of creating a brighter future, and I am excited to bring this vision to Twitter and transform this business together.
“Looks like we have some new followers… I’m not as prolific as @elonmusk (yet!), but I’m just as passionate about the future of this platform. Your feedback is vital to its future. I’ll explain everything here.Let’s keep the conversation going and let’s build Twitter 2.0 together!”
Thanks @elonmusk! I have long been inspired by your vision of creating a brighter future. We are excited to bring this vision to Twitter and transform this business together. https://t.co/BcvySu7K76May 13, 2023
As BBC (opens in new tab) Fewer than 10 percent of Fortune 500 tech companies are headed by women, he said, one of the reasons Yacarino’s hiring was notable. Before that, Turner worked in entertainment for 15 years, overseeing the launch of the company’s streaming service before moving to NBCUniversal, where he was head of advertising sales and the company’s Peacock. Contributed to the launch.
Yaccarino’s appointment has also sparked speculation that she may fall victim to the so-called “glass cliff.” This is essentially the opposite of a glass ceiling. The term is used to describe situations where women are hired to the top. Being in the middle of a crisis basically forces them to fail (and prevents humans from learning to fail).
“Her qualifications are impeccable and she’s been very successful so far, but she’s also been in an environment where success can be achieved,” said JoeEllen Posner, professor of business at the University of Santa Clara. said. CTV news (opens in new tab). “I don’t mean to disrespect her or disrespect her in any way, but I think this is basically an impossible situation for anyone.”
This poses a particular risk for Yaccarino. Given that Musk previously said he would remain Twitter’s executive chairman (effectively Yaccarino’s boss) and chief technology officer “overseeing products, software and management.”
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Mr. Musk has also faced backlash from some of his most ardent followers over the selection of Mr. Yaccarino because of his ties to him. world economic forum (opens in new tab)Mr. Musk has been very critical in the past. For example, in January, Musk said it was ” unelected world government (opens in new tab) That’s what the public doesn’t want or want.” Yaccarino is executive chair of the WEF’s Future of Work Task Force. (opens in new tab).
Responding to far-right podcaster Alex LoRusso’s free speech tweet, Musk said his “commitment to open source transparency and inclusion of a wide range of perspectives remains unchanged,” while radical anti-trans activist He told Chris Elston that he would not change his mind. “Resolute defend free speech (opens in new tab)Even if it means losing money. ”
Our commitment to open source transparency and inclusion of a wide range of perspectives remains unchanged.May 12, 2023
But Mr. Musk’s commitment to everything is thin at best. For example, he agreed to the Turkish government’s request over the weekend, despite talking about “freedom of speech.” censor your tweets (opens in new tab) With the country’s fierce elections set to take place the next day, opinions from the opposition have been received. If her backlash against Yaccarino continues, or if Musk ever changes her mind, she may end up crossing that glass cliff sooner than anyone expected.
