Lynch Named Pres./CEO of Pandora

Pandora announced that Roger Lynch, former CEO of Sling TV has been named President & CEO and a member of its board of directors, effective September 18. Naveen Chopra, who has served as Pandora’s interim CEO since June, will continue in his role as Chief Financial Officer. Pandora has also appointed Michael Lynton to its board of directors. Lynton is currently the Chairman of Snap Inc., and previously served as CEO of Sony Entertainment from 2012 until February 2017, and was Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment for over 13 years.

Pandora’s current Chairman, Roger Faxon, speaking on behalf of the Pandora board, stated, “Roger brings a stellar leadership reputation, a wealth of consumer experience, and a lifelong passion for music to Pandora — all of which are critical ingredients in the continued evolution of our company. We are absolutely confident that Roger is the right leader for Pandora who can create value for shareholders by marrying Pandora’s numerous assets with the opportunities ahead. As I have said before, with ‘digital radio’ at the core of our business, and both ‘Plus’ and ‘Premium’ as new, integral parts of our arsenal, Pandora is now in an ideal position to leverage changing consumer behaviors to further expand and monetize our listening audience. We are very excited to welcome Roger as our CEO as we embark on our next chapter with renewed focus, a strong balance sheet, a strategic partnership with SiriusXM and an incredible team of loyal and creative employees.”

Lynch remarked, “I cannot imagine a more important and exciting time to join Pandora. With a massive, diverse and highly engaged audience, a market-leading digital advertising business, a best-in-class product portfolio and an extremely passionate and talented group of people, Pandora is well positioned to capture an even greater market opportunity. As a lifelong musician and exuberant music fan, this is the perfect opportunity to combine my industry experience with my love for music. I look forward to working with this great team, having a lot of fun, and leading Pandora through its next exciting phase.”