San Francisco 49ers President Gideon Yu announced that Kunal Malik, one of Silicon Valley's leading technology experts, will be joining the organization. Malik will serve as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and starts this new position May 1. As the CTO, he'll lead all technology efforts for the club as well as the new Santa Clara stadium.
"We have set very high goals for what we want the Santa Clara stadium to be in terms of innovation, technology and user experience," said Yu. "To achieve those goals, we need a leader with an incredibly unique skill set. In my opinion, there is nobody better qualified for this role, and I am excited to partner with Kunal again. Kunal has a unique ability and track record of integrating cutting edge technologies with an eye toward an excellent and simple customer experience."
Over the past five years, Malik led the creation of the IT department at Facebook, a department he founded in 2007 and helped enable the growth for one of the world's leading companies. He is credited for building the next generation IT organization and creating a technology culture that promoted innovation, fast execution and transparency with its customers. He built a strong IT leadership team and delivered an aggressive IT portfolio that exceeded the company's growth needs.
Malik has over 15 years of technology experience in senior leadership roles and has managed and developed large organizations. He has a strong track record of delivering successful technology projects based on innovation and collaboration. Malik's background includes an earlier stint with the Buffalo Police Department where he leveraged technology to improve the response times of police officers and the productivity of local law enforcement. Subsequently, Malik has excelled in senior technology management roles at Exodus Communications and Wind River Systems.
"I'm thrilled about joining the storied San Francisco 49ers, a franchise backed by a strong track record of achievements and success both on and off the field," said Malik. "On a personal level, I feel honored to become a part of this absolutely amazing institution. The opportunity to define the next generation of technology for the new stadium will enable the 49ers organization to deliver a highly connected and interactive experience to fans and set a new standard for the National Football League."
Malik earned his Bachelor's of Engineering from Punjab Engineering College in India and his MBA from University at Buffalo.
The new stadium in Santa Clara is estimated to cost approximately $1.02 billion. Officials expect it to be a landmark for Silicon Valley in addition to its role as the new home to the San Francisco 49ers. The 1.85 million square foot facility will seat approximately 68,500 and feature an expected 165 luxury suites and 9,000 club seats. It will be designed with multi-purpose flexibility to host a wide range of events including, domestic and international soccer, college football, motocross, concerts and various civic events, and is expandable for major events such as the Super Bowl. For more information, go to www.newsantaclarastadium.com.
