Pandora has appointed Naveen Chopra as Chief Financial Officer, effective February 28, 2017.
Interestingly, Chopra has experience of leading a high-profile company into a sale: he was acting CEO of TV-on-demand business TiVo when it was acquired by Rovi Corporation in September 2016.
He replaces Mike Herring in the role. Herring, who served as Pandora’s chief financial officer since March 2013, will continue as the company’s President – a role he first assumed in March 2016.
Chopra will be responsible for Pandora’s finance, corporate development and strategy, investor relations, facilities and CIO functions and will report to Tim Westergren, founder and chief executive officer of Pandora.
“After a thorough and thoughtful search process, we are thrilled to welcome Naveen aboard,” said Westergren.
“Naveen is a talented business leader whose deep knowledge and background in consumer-oriented technology companies make him the right choice as our new CFO. His impressive experience guiding financial strategy and execution at growing companies will serve Pandora well. I look forward to working closely with him as we continue to execute our strategy.”
“Naveen is a talented business leader whose deep knowledge and background in consumer-oriented technology companies make him the right choice as our new CFO.”
Tim Westergren, Pandora
Chopra joined TiVo in 2003 and most recently served as the company’s interim CEO from January 2016 until its acquisition by Rovi later that year.
During his tenure at TiVo, Chopra guided the company through a critical financial and strategic transformation while building respected relationships with employees, investors, analysts and strategic business partners.
From 2012 to 2016, Chopra served as chief financial officer and senior vice president of corporate development and strategy and was responsible for overseeing numerous strategic initiatives in addition to TiVo’s accounting, financial reporting, planning, tax and treasury functions.
“Pandora fundamentally changed the way we listen to music and continues to lead the way in reshaping the future of music for listeners, music makers and advertisers,” said Chopra.
“It’s an exciting time to join the team and a unique opportunity to combine my passion for world-class consumer services and strategic and operational experience to help guide Pandora’s growth and deliver shareholder value. I look forward to working closely with Tim, Mike and the entire Pandora team.”
Chopra holds bachelor degrees in computer science and economics from Stanford University and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He currently serves as a member of the board of directors of Vonage Holdings Corp.Music Business Worldwide
