Blackhawk Network appoints Google Nest’s Nikhil Sathe as CTO

Bengaluru: Blackhawk Network has brought on board Google Nest’s vice president of engineering Nikhil Sathe as its chief technology officer (CTO) to further the global fintech major’s endeavour to be future ready.

Sathe will lead Blackhawk’s continued innovation in global payments technology, including product development, infrastructure and security, the company said in a statement.

He brings to the table 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.

At Google Nest, his most recent appointment, Sathe was responsible for strategy, design and development of Google's Nest, Chromecast and Home branded products and Smart Home ecosystem.

“Nikhil’s experience in shaping 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,” Talbott Roche, chief executive officer and president of Blackhawk Network,

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,” Sathe said in the statement. “This is a time when the digital evolution of payment technologies is deepening the relationship between brands and consumers and enabling new capabilities faster than ever.”

Blackhawk has presence in over 28 countries and is headquartered in Pleasanton, California.