Verizon Media has added a new head of technology, tapping Rathi Murthy as the company’s Chief Technology Officer. Murthy joins Verizon Media from Gap Inc., where she was also the CTO. There, Murthy managed the company’s technology and team of more than 2,500 employees across the company’s portfolio of brands, including Old Navy, Intermix and Banana Republic.
“Rathi is a stellar technology leader who, for over 20 years, has driven growth for some of the world’s biggest companies, including Gap, American Express and eBay,” said Guru Gowrappan, Verizon Media’s CEO. “As our business continues to evolve in new ways, we are excited to add her wealth of experience and believe it will be invaluable for us in support of our mission of connecting people to their passions.”
According to the company’s official press release, Murthy will lead Verizon Media’s “continued innovations in 5G, advertising and content, commerce and subscriptions” globally.
The commerce piece here is particularly interesting. In addition to her time at Gap Inc., Murthy spent seven years in senior leadership roles at American Express, where she led technology development for prepaid and alternative payments globally. Before that, she was a Senior Director of Engineering at online marketplace eBay.
Verizon Media has been making a big push into the commerce space through their Yahoo brand, launching 30 Days of Savings, a Shopping Hub and, most recently, a sports betting capability with BetMGM. As the company continues building out its commerce functionality, Murthy’s payments and e-commerce expertise will likely be invaluable. Combined with CEO Guru Gowrappan’s successes with Alibaba, Verizon Media has quietly developed a formidable commerce team.
“Verizon Media is in an exciting new phase of growth and is leading in 5G technology,” said Murthy in a statement. “I look forward to amplifying that success with an innovative technology roadmap. I will work together with our world-class product teams and customers to advance our technology and deliver maximum value to our growing business partners.”
