Linda Yaccarino, who will step into the role of Twitter CEO on Monday, is bringing Joe Benarroch, her top lieutenant from NBCUniversal, with her.
“Tomorrow, I start a different professional adventure at Twitter, taking on a role focusing on business operations,” Benarroch told colleagues in a memo, according to The Wall Street Journal. “I am looking forward to bringing my experience to Twitter, and to working with the entire team to build Twitter 2.0 together.”
Thank you @lindayacc! I am looking forward to partnering with the entire team and the industry to build @Twitter 2.0 together! Let’s make history! https://t.co/uHJfE08Z5L
— Joe Benarroch (@benarroch_joe) June 4, 2023
According to the Journal, Benarroch had been serving as executive VP of communications, global advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal, where Yaccarino ran an international 2,000-plus person advertising sales team for 12 years.
When Musk announced his hire, he said Yaccarino will take charge “primarily of business operations” while he focuses on “product design & new technology.”
The goal with hiring Yaccarino is to woo advertisers back to the platform who either left or cut spending following Musk’s takeover and the changes he made regarding content moderation.
The addition of Benarroch comes amid turnover in Twitter’s upper ranks in recent days. Last week, Twitter lost two key executives: Ella Irwin, Twitter’s head of trust and safety, who was in charge of handling content moderation decisions, and A.J. Brown, head of brand safety and ad quality, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Their exits came in part because of a controversy over Twitter’s handling of a movie about gender issues.
Twitter relies on advertising for most of its revenue. Reassuring advertisers that the platform is safe for them—that their brands won’t be juxtaposed with objectionable content—is key to drawing them back into the fold. In recent months, Twitter has touted new tools for brands to monitor and control where their ads appear. Some advertisers have expressed optimism about those moves.
Musk said at the Journal’s CEO Council Summit in May that Twitter isn’t quite profitable, but could be cash-flow positive soon. (WSJ)
Conservatives have been skeptical about Musk’s hire, citing concerns about whether free speech would remain on the platform or if she would bring back the shadow banning so prevalent under previous leadership; her cheering on social justice initiatives at NBC; her views on COVID-19; and ties to the World Economic Forum.
In response to objections, Musk maintained that he is “adamant about defending free speech.”
"I hear your concerns, but don't judge too early," Musk said. "I am adamant about defending free speech, even if it means losing money."
I hear your concerns, but don’t judge too early. I am adamant about defending free speech, even if it means losing money.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 12, 2023