People Moves: Akbari Joins Santander, Chandhok Joins LeEco

Players in the IoT and m2M spaces are making moves to new opportunities all over the industry.

The Board of Directors of Banco Santander has agreed to name Homaira Akbari as an independent member of the Board. Akbari was nominated by the Bank’s Appointments’ Committee, filling the vacancy left by Angel Jado who has resigned from his position. Her appointment has received the necessary regulatory approvals and will be put forward for ratification at Banco Santander's next general shareholders meeting.

Akbari has a Ph.D. in particle physics from Tufts University and holds an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University. She is CEO of global advisory firm AKnowledge Partners, which specializes in The Internet of Things, Security, Big Data and Analytics. She is a board member at several technology companies as well as the French service and utility company Veolia Environnment.

“The Bank is very proud to have Homaira join our board of directors,” said Ana Botín, Group Executive Chairman, Banco Santander. “Her skills and professional experience will be extremely useful for Santander as we move ahead in our digital transformation. Her broad cultural and professional background will make us a better bank.”

LeEco, a global technology company, has announced the appointment of Rob Chandhok as Chief Research & Development Officer for the company’s North America operations.

“We are focused on making the next era of technology the Ecosystem Era by seamlessly and elegantly connecting the many screens individuals use,” said Richard Ren, President, LeEco North America. “Rob’s expertise is key to helping LeEco achieve this vision. We are thrilled to have him join our growing leadership team.”

Chandhok brings years of expertise in wireless networks, software and hardware systems. As SVP and Division President at Qualcomm, he provided key leadership for the company’s software strategy, open source initiatives, and wearables and virtual reality divisions. With 39 patents, Chandhok has pushed the boundaries of devices and applications, broadening the landscape of technology. More recently, Chandhok served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Helium Systems Inc., an industrial IoT company in San Francisco.