Twitter Hires Google Advertising Executive Ahead of IPO

Twitter has hired a Google advertising executive to be head of retail, as the company ramps up hiring and works to expand its business ahead of an initial public offering.

J.J. Hirschle, who directed media and entertainment advertising at Google, will be responsible for the team selling advertising products to retail companies, Will Stickney, a spokesman for Twitter, said Wednesday. He starts Oct. 28.

The hire comes as Twitter builds its advertising business by reaching out to retailers, among others. The San Francisco-based company, which is preparing to go public in the most-anticipated U.S. technology offering since Facebook last year, has disclosed in its S-1 prospectus that it is growing revenue from advertising, even as it remains unprofitable. Read more...