Linda Yaccarino Leaving NBCU Amid Twitter Rumors
Linda Yaccarino, NBCU’s Chairman of Global Advertising and Partnerships, is leaving the company immediately amid rumors that she’s in talks to become Twitter’s next CEO.
Mark Marshall, the company’s President of Advertising Sales and Client Partnerships, will become Interim Chairman of the Advertising and Partnerships group, reporting to NBCU Television and Streaming Chair Mark Lazarus.
The news comes just three days before NBCU’s upfronts, throwing another complication into an already tumultuous upfront season. Yaccarino spent 12 years at NBCU and she’s been instrumental to developments like the One Platform, a unified tech-enabled advertising marketplace. She’s also been key to the forging of partnerships with the likes of Twitter and Snapchat as NBCU has worked to expand its digital footprint.
“It has been an absolute honor to be part of Comcast NBCUniversal and lead the most incredible team. We’ve transformed our company and the entire industry—and I am so proud of what we’ve accomplished together, and grateful to my colleagues and mentors, especially Brian Roberts, Mike Cavanagh and the entire NBCU leadership team,” Yaccarino said.
Elon Musk tweeted Thursday that he had hired a new female CEO for Twitter who would be starting in approximately six weeks. He’ll transition to Executive Chair and CTO, overseeing product and software. The Wall Street Journal and others have reported that Yaccarino is negotiating with Twitter to take its CEO seat.
