Rahul Chandhok is in his ninth season with the 49ers and his first as Chief Communications & Public Affairs Officer.
Chandhok leads the 49ers' efforts on items related to the team's business and reputation, public policy, legislative and regulatory issues, development, land use, cross-functional initiatives, corporate communications, and serves as a team spokesperson.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chandhok oversaw the team's efforts to both guarantee a safe return to the stadium and leverage organizational assets to support the community in responding to the pandemic.
Chandhok chaired the committee that helped players and fans safely return to Levi's Stadium for the 2021 season. His work included overseeing the 49ers Medical and Economic Advisory Committees, working with government officials, health leaders, media, and the community to establish a standard for the safe return of fans to the stadium.
Additionally, Chandhok led efforts in coordination with public health officials to convert Levi's Stadium into California's largest vaccination site, which administered over 350,000 COVID-19 vaccination doses.
Chandhok and his team work closely with local officials and community groups to promote civic engagement. Under Chandhok's leadership, the 49ers organization convened a multilateral partnership to make Levi's Stadium a voting center for the 2020 General Election as part of the team's wider efforts to expand voter awareness. In the 2020 Primary Election, Chandhok worked alongside the NAACP, La Raza, and the Asian Law Alliance to protect the civil and voting rights of minority and underserved communities by defeating Santa Clara's Measure C.
Chandhok joined the 49ers in 2014 as manager of government affairs, a role he held for two seasons, then serving as director of external affairs for two seasons. Following this, Chandhok served as a VP of Public Affairs & Strategic Communications for three seasons before serving as the EVP of Communications & Public Affairs for one year. Prior to joining the 49ers, he was influential in securing the public-private partnership that prevented the relocation of the NBA's Sacramento Kings and developed the Golden 1 Center.
Chandhok is active in the community, serving on the boards of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, Joint Venture Silicon Valley, and Beyond Differences.
He holds a B.A. from U.C. Irvine and a J.D. from U.C. Davis School of Law. Chandhok, his fiancé Tanya, and their dog, Duncan, reside in San Francisco.
