ONE TOUGH COOKIE

Linda Yaccarino has been tasked with getting Twitter back on track – and those in the know say she’s perfect for the job

- KESHIA AFRICA

SHE'S known as the velvet hammer because of her smooth yet tough style of negotiating - and she's going to have to bring everything she has to the table if she hopes to turn around the company she's been tasked with saving.

Linda Yaccarino, Twitter's new CEO, is the woman Elon Musk has pinned his hopes on as the social media platform continues its freefall into trouble.

By many accounts the company is in a world of pain and Elon himself described the CEO job as a position anyone would be crazy to take on.

More than half of Twitter's top 1 000 advertisers have stopped spending and the company's value has plunged from $44 billion (R863bn) to $20bn (R380bn).

There are growing concerns about hate speech and the company's workforce has been decimated since Elon took over last year.

And yet into the fray has stepped a 60-year-old sharp-suited, highheeled hotshot who once criticised platforms like YouTube and Twitter as "unsafe" for brands.

Insiders say she's perfect for the job because she knows advertising and media like the back of her hand and will handle business operations while Elon dedicates himself to product design and new technology.

Linda, whose Twitter followers shot up from 27 000 to over 400 000 shortly after Musk made the announcement, took to the platform to thank her new boss.

"I've long been inspired by your visions to create a brighter future," she said. "I'm excited to help bring this vision to Twitter and transform this business together.

"I'm not as prolific as Elon Musk, but I'm just as committed to the future of this platform."

She knows she has a tough job ahead of her and plans to bring changes through collaboration. "Your feedback is vital to the future," she told Twitter users. "I'm here for all of it. Let's keep the conversation going and build Twitter 2.0 together."