Who is Linda Yaccarino? Elon Musk finds new Twitter CEO

Just over six months after his controversial takeover of Twitter and just hours after stoking speculation by saying he had found a new boss for the company without revealing their identity, Elon Musk has named Linda Yaccarino as the new chief executive of the social media platform.

She is expected to start in six weeks, the billionaire had mentioned in an earlier tweet, later adding while Yaccarino will focus primarily on business operations, he will be working on product design and new technology.

“Looking forward to working with Linda to transform this platform into X, the everything app.”

Musk’s role will soon transition to being executive chairman and chief technology officer. He had been under intense pressure to find a new Twitter boss and refocus his attention on his other businesses, which include rocket firm SpaceX and electric car company Tesla.

With women heading lesser than 10% of Fortune 500 tech companies, Yaccarino will be counted among a handful of women at the top of major technology firms, after steadily rising through the ranks of some of the biggest media companies in America.

Five Facts about the New Twitter Boss

1) Linda Yaccarino was with NBCUniversal for over a decade. As NBCU’s former head of advertising, she played a vital role in the launch of the company’s ad-supported Peacock streaming service.

2) She was also with Turner Entertainment for 19 years, helping drag the network’s advertisement sales operation into the digital future.

3) Yaccarino completed her course in liberal arts and telecommunications at Penn State University.

4) Last month, she interviewed Musk at an advertising conference in Miami, lauding the billionaire’s work ethic.

5) Yaccarino’s exit from NBCUniversal could prove to be another big blow to the company as Comcast reported last month that CEO Jeff Shell was leaving after admitting to an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, after a complaint that started a probe.