Linda Yaccarino’s X-It: What’s Next for the Exec?

by

Two years back, Linda Yaccarino opted to depart from her influential role in the advertising industry and join Elon Musk on Twitter, with the hope of transforming it into a colossal digital entity.

For quite some time, you’ve ignited my passion for building a more vibrant tomorrow. I’m thrilled to be part of the journey in realizing that vision at Twitter and collaborate with you in shaping this endeavor!” This is how Yaccarino expressed her feelings on the platform following Musk’s announcement of her appointment.

For the past two years, there have been significant changes. Advertisers protested, only to return later. The premium tier was introduced, Twitter was rebranded as “X” by Musk, who also unveiled his plans to transform it into an “everything app.” Meanwhile, generative AI became more prevalent, and Musk integrated Grok AI into the platform. Later, Musk’s AI company xAi acquired Twitter outright.

Now Yaccarino is out, and the industry is wondering what comes next.

Where does Linda land?

At NBCU, Yaccarino held significant influence within advertising. However, the situation (X) has faced challenges, largely due to Musk’s priorities not always aligning with those of advertisers. As reported by The Wall Street Journal, efforts to revive X involved a forceful approach towards advertisers, even threatening legal action. This strategy could have potentially damaged relationships within the advertising community.

Simultaneously, Yaccarino has managed to keep important connections with influential figures in the industry, and recently participated in discussions at the Cannes Lions Advertising Summit just last month. It’s plausible that she may take on another role within the advertising sector.

One possibility: Paramount Global.

Jeff Shell, who previously served as CEO of NBCUniversal, is set to take over as president of Paramount Global once Skydance finalizes its acquisition of the company, which should happen within the next month or two. During his tenure at NBCU, Shell and Yaccarino worked closely together, and in 2020, Shell promoted Yaccarino to the position of chairman of global advertising and partnerships. However, Shell was let go from the company not long before Yaccarino’s departure. If Ellison and Shell decide to make some changes at Paramount, it wouldn’t be surprising if there might be a role for Yaccarino at the company as well.

Don’t count it out: A job in the Trump administration.

As a fervent supporter, I wouldn’t be taken aback to learn about Yaccarino aligning herself with Musk on Twitter, considering his traditionally conservative stance and her anticipation of shared ideologies. However, it’s essential to consider that their partnership precedes the very public rift between Musk and President Trump.

It’s possible that Yaccarino’s separation could present an opportunity for her to take on a government position. Considering Trump previously appointed her to the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition during his first term, it seems plausible that she might be considered for open ambassadorship or other roles.

Probably a longshot: WPP CEO.

An exciting and significant opportunity in advertising is currently available as a company seeks an experienced professional with ad expertise and knowledge about the challenges and possibilities presented by artificial intelligence (AI). WPP is currently in search of a new CEO, with Mark Read planning his retirement at the end of this year.

A prominent advertising company is seeking an experienced executive to guide its progress into the future, and few ad executives match Yaccarino’s level of experience. However, the aggressive strategies used at Twitter and X could potentially deter some clients within the holding company.

What about X?

Although Elon Musk didn’t officially appoint a new CEO at X, his brief response (“Thank you for your contributions”) leaves uncertainty regarding the platform’s upcoming advertising and content strategies, as Yaccarino has recently departed. This raises intriguing questions about the future direction of the platform.

Musk harbors more expansive aspirations, with artificial intelligence playing a pivotal role, and designs for payment systems and other functionalities. Will he assume the CEO position, or will he guide the company himself? This mirrors his approach at Tesla, Neuralink, xAI, and The Boring Company, while SpaceX operates differently, with Gwynne Shotwell serving as its president and COO on a day-to-day basis.

The organization has been striking partnerships for content creation as well. These agreements encompass podcasts like those hosted by Venus and Serena Williams, Khloe Kardashian, an exclusive WWE project named WWE Speed, and a collaboration with the NFL for their NFL Top 100 series. Will entity X continue in the production of original content?

After discussing the topic, it’s clear that AI is a significant focus now that X belongs to xAI. This suggests that Musk may be more interested in taking on OpenAI and Anthropic rather than Instagram or TikTok. Despite Grok’s recent issues (a quick search will reveal “Grok MechaHitler” for more information), this seems to be his main focus, as it offers a potentially lucrative avenue for securing substantial investments. Investors are drawn to AI companies, not ad-supported social platforms. This is why Mark Zuckerberg is offering large compensation packages to AI engineers who join Meta, and why OpenAI invested $6.5 billion in Jony Ive’s new wearables company.

Read More

2025-07-10 00:24