NBCUniversal Ad Chief, in talks to run Twitter, to leave immediately

NBCUniversal announced Friday morning that Linda Yaccarino, its longtime advertising chief, would be leaving effective immediately, fueling speculation that she was on her way to leading Twitter.

Elon Musk is in talks to hire Ms. Yaccarino as Twitter’s chief executive, two people in the know said. The talks are at an advanced stage, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the conversations are confidential.

Ms. Yaccarino has been in talks with Mr. Musk for weeks, they said. Last month, Ms. Yaccarino interviewed Mr. Musk on stage at an advertising event in Miami.

“We are grateful to Linda Yaccarino for leading NBCUniversal’s advertising sales division and for the innovative team and platform she has built,” said Mike Cavanagh, who has led NBCUniversal. “Linda has made countless contributions to the company during her 12 years of service and we wish her well.”

Ms. Yaccarino said in a statement, “It has been an absolute honor to be a part of Comcast NBCUniversal and lead the most incredible team.”

Mr. Musk had said on Thursday that he had selected a chief executive for Twitter but did not identify the executive. In a tweet he said “she starts in ~6 weeks!” He added that he would remain involved as executive chairman and “CTO,” which typically stands for chief technology officer, and would continue to oversee Twitter’s product and software.

Mr. Musk, who bought Twitter for $44 billion last year, will keep firm control of the company even if he appoints a CEO. As the owner of Twitter, he made his mark by eliminating more than 75 percent of the company’s 7,500 employees, installing its own leaders, and changing the service’s features and strategy. He also took Twitter private, meaning he doesn’t have to reveal company information to the public.

NBCUniversal’s sudden announcement comes weeks after NBCUniversal abruptly let go of its CEO, and just days away from the company’s biggest showcase for advertisers.