‘The Velvet Hammer’: who is Twitter’s new CEO and can she fix its problems?

Linda Yaccarino is praised for understanding of advertisers - but Elon Musk must cede enough control

I see I have some new followers," said Linda Yaccarino, adding side-eyes and waving hand emojis to a tongue-in-cheek post responding to the social media explosion that followed her unveiling as Twitter's new chief executive on Friday.

Still weeks away from taking up the role, Yaccarino, a respected media veteran known in advertising circles as the Velvet Hammer" for her silky but tough negotiating style, has already had a taste of the shambolic corporate environment that has swept the platform since billionaire Elon Musk bought it for $44bn last October.