Pandora names former Sling TV executive Roger Lynch its new CEO

It’s no secret that Pandora has struggled to adapt to the new era of on-demand streaming services. Capping off a series of unfortunate events for the company was the departure of its long-time CEO Tim Westergren earlier this year. Today, however, Pandora announced that it has named former Sling TV CEO Roger Lynch as its new CEO and president, as well as a member of its board.

Lynch was the founding CEO of Sling TV, having previously held positions at Dish Network, Chello Broadband, and EchoStar. In a statement on his latest venture, he stressed the how exciting things currently are at Pandora and its potential to explode in growth:

“I cannot imagine a more important and exciting time to join Pandora,” said Lynch. “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.”

In addition to Lynch coming aboard as CEO and president, Pandora also announced today that Snap Inc chairman Michael Lynton will join its board of directors. Prior to his position at Snap, Lynton was CEO of Sony Entertainment and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment:

“I have always admired Pandora for its innovative business and iconic brand, and I’m thrilled to be joining the board,” said Lynton. “Pandora has numerous assets that can be leveraged for the benefit of both listeners and shareholders. I look forward to being part of its future.”

Interim Pandora CEO Naveen Chopra will return to his position as chief financial officer.

Pandora has struggled to compete with streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music. While the company did launch its Apple Music competitor Pandora Premium earlier this year, it hasn’t gained traction. Whether or not the additions of Lynch and Lynton can change that remains to be seen.

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