Sinclair appoints Narinder Sahai as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Narinder Sahai, a seasoned financial leader with over two decades of experience, has been appointed as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Sinclair, Inc., effective immediately. This strategic appointment comes as Sinclair transitions from a traditional TV broadcaster to a technology-driven media enterprise, focusing on advanced broadcasting technologies like ATSC 3.0.
Sahai's extensive background in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) is particularly relevant to Sinclair's ambitions to monetize the capabilities of ATSC 3.0. During his 12-year tenure at Amazon Web Services (AWS), Sahai served as the Head of Worldwide Go-to-Market Finance for Compute and AI/ML services, providing financial leadership for specialist sales teams globally.
Before joining Sinclair, Sahai held the CFO role at Arcis Golf, a leisure and hospitality company, and previously at RumbleOn, a publicly traded technology-driven omnichannel powersports platform. These roles have equipped him with valuable skills in financial planning, acquisitions, and operational efficiency, complementing his tech background and supporting Sinclair’s strategic transformation.
Sahai's technological acumen is further underpinned by his undergraduate degree in electronics and electrical communication engineering from Thapar University in India, where he was valedictorian. He is also a CFA Charterholder and holds a Master of Business Administration with high distinction from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
Chris Ripley, President and CEO of Sinclair, expressed his confidence in Sahai's ability to guide Sinclair through its next phase of growth, stating, "Narinder's experience makes him exceptionally well-suited to lead our financial strategy while leveraging his strong AI and machine learning expertise to help Sinclair capitalize on the emerging digital broadcasting landscape and transition into a tech-centric media company."
Lucy Rutishauser, who is stepping down as CFO, will remain in her executive vice president role until her planned retirement later this year. She will continue to support the transition, ensuring a smooth handover to Sahai. Upon her retirement, Rutishauser will become a senior adviser.
Sahai expressed his excitement to join Sinclair during a period of transformation and growth, stating, "I appreciate companies that are successfully transforming themselves while maintaining strong operational discipline, and I look forward to working with Chris, the board, and the entire team to execute on Sinclair's strategic vision."
Sahai sees significant potential to drive value creation for all stakeholders at Sinclair. His strategic financial leadership is expected to play a crucial role in unlocking new value for the company as it navigates the evolving digital broadcasting landscape.
- Narinder Sahai's extensive experience in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) aligns well with Sinclair's aim to leverage ATSC 3.0's capabilities for monetization.
- Sahai's strategic financial leadership, honed from his tenure at Amazon Web Services (AWS), will support Sinclair's transition into a tech-centric media company.
- With valuable skills in financial planning, acquisitions, and operational efficiency, Sahai's appointment as CFO of Sinclair is expected to catalyze strategic transformation.
- Understanding that Sinclair is navigating the evolving digital broadcasting landscape, Sahai sees a great opportunity to drive value creation for all stakeholders, including investors and 4K video content providers.
- As Sahai steps into his new role at Sinclair, his technological acumen and financial strategy prowess will be critical in capitalizing on the emerging digital broadcasting landscape and the cloud-based media businesses.
