Twitter’s new CEO Linda Yaccarino eases into the hot seat
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Ms Linda Yaccarino has been prevented from working on a key component of what she was hired to do at Twitter: Drum up advertising.
PHOTO: AFP
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NEW YORK – When Mr Elon Musk announced in May that he had hired Ms Linda Yaccarino as Twitter’s chief executive, he said he was excited to bring on someone who could “focus primarily on business operations”.
But just over three weeks into her new job,
Ms Yaccarino, 60, has spoken to some of Twitter’s advertisers about unsavoury content on the site, four people with knowledge of the conversations said.
But she has not engaged in public hobnobbing and hands-on negotiating with advertisers to increase Twitter’s revenue.
This is because a contractual agreement with NBCUniversal prevents Ms Yaccarino – at least initially – from working on advertising deals that will conflict with the interests of her former employer, three people familiar with the arrangement said.
Restricted from hammering out advertising deals, Ms Yaccarino has instead repaired at least one relationship, between Twitter and Google; talked to regulators; and focused on employee morale.
Twitter did not make Ms Yaccarino, a long-time Madison Avenue power player, available for an interview.
A person close to her said the non-compete clause extends only to her first few weeks at Twitter, while another said it is difficult for NBCUniversal to enforce. The clause’s expiration date is unclear.
Mr Musk did not respond to a request for comment.
Ms Yaccarino began as Twitter’s CEO on June 5. At an internal ad sales meeting on June 12, she addressed the state of Twitter’s advertising.
Mr Musk had removed guard rails at the site, allowing misinformation and toxic content to flourish and deterring brands from advertising.
The company’s ad revenue in the United States has fallen nearly 60 per cent, and Mr Musk has said he expects revenue this year to be around US$3 billion (S$4.07 billion), down from US$5.1 billion in 2021.
Ms Yaccarino acknowledged that some big brands had stayed away from the platform, and said she and other sales employees would have to engage in “hand-to-hand combat” to persuade them to return.
She did not mention her inability at the time to discuss ad deals with clients. NYTIMES
