Blackhawk Network, a global financial technology company and a leader in payment technologies and solutions, today announced veteran tech executive, Nikhil (Nik) Sathe, has been named Chief Technology Officer. Sathe will lead Blackhawk’s continued innovation in global payments technology, including product development, infrastructure and security.
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Sathe brings more than 30 years of experience in numerous leadership positions in the technology and financial space, including CTO roles at American Express and PayPal, and prior payments leadership roles at Google and JPMorgan Chase. Most recently, he served as vice president of engineering for Google Nest, where he was responsible for the strategy, design and development of Google’s Nest, Chromecast and Home branded products and Smart Home ecosystem.
“Nik’s experience in shaping the growth of technology and payments brands fits well within our world-class Blackhawk team, and will help us continue to deliver digital payment innovations to our partners. We are thrilled to have Nik leading the growth of our global technology strategy,” said Talbott Roche, CEO and president of Blackhawk Network. “Every modern payments brand must also be a technology leader. We are committed to staying at the forefront of the tech that will shape how we shop, spend and save, today and tomorrow.”
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In his new role, Sathe will report directly to Roche and will continue the expansion of Blackhawk’s technology systems to ensure further growth within the global commerce landscape.
“Blackhawk’s focus is on the future of emerging payments and it will continue to bring even greater value to brands and consumers,” said Sathe. “I’m thrilled to join this passionate team in a time where the digital evolution of payment technologies is deepening the relationship between brands and consumers and enabling new capabilities faster than ever.”
Sathe joins a team of veteran payments industry leaders within Blackhawk, including Brett Narlinger, head of global commerce; Leila Pourhashemi, CIO and vice president of technology business operations; and Helena Mao, vice president of global product strategy, all supporting the growth of Blackhawk’s digital payments and commerce solutions.
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