Elon Musk on Friday announced that he would step down as the CEO of Twitter and hand over the reins of the widely popular and influential social media company to the new boss in about six weeks.
"Excited to announce that I've hired a new CEO for X/Twitter. She will be starting in 6 weeks! My role will transition to being exec chair & CTO, overseeing product, software & sysops," Musk wrote on the microblogging platform.
While Musk didn't identify the individual who is set to replace him at Twitter's helm, multiple US press outlets claimed that Linda Yaccarino, the chief of NBCUniversal's advertising department, is the frontrunner to secure one of the most coveted posts in Silicon Valley.
Everything You Need to Know About Linda Yaccarino
Yaccarino has been associated with NBCUniversal for more than 12 years, having joined the organization in 2011, according to her LinkedIn profile details.
She is currently the chairperson of global advertising and partnerships at the company. Before being elevated to her current position, she served in the sales division of NBCUniversal's cable entertainment and digital advertising.
Before joining NBCUniversal, Yaccarino spent 19 years at Turner Entertainment, where she earned plaudits for her role in transitioning the company's advertising sales operations from TV to digital.
In her last role at Turner, Yaccarino served as its Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of advertising sales, marketing, and acquisitions.
Regarding her university credentials, Yaccarino graduated from Penn State University, a top US higher educational institution, where she earned a degree in liberal arts and telecommunications.
How Are Yaccarino and Musk Conntected?
Media reports say she has been a long-time Musk supporter and apparently told her inner circle that the Tesla founder should be given time to resurrect the fortunes of the San Francisco-based social media behemoth.
Also, Yaccarino reportedly informed her friends that if the opportunity came her way, she would like to be the next Twitter CEO.
She got the opportunity to interview Musk in Miami last month when the business tycoon arrived there to participate in an advertising conference. Upon introducing him, she asked the audience to give Musk a warm welcome, including loud cheers and applause, before praising him for his "no-nonsense approach" and work ethic.
However, the US media mentioned that besides Yaccarino, Ella Irwin could also be in line to take over Twitter's reins from Musk.
Presently, Irwin is the head of Twitter's trust and safety division. She is believed to have had a good working relationship with the 51-year-old business magnate since Musk took over the social media giant last fall.