Sirius XM Holdings Inc. on Feb. 21 announced the appointment of Richard Baer as executive vice president, general counsel and secretary, effective March 3. Baer succeeds Patrick Donnelly, who is retiring.
Baer is an attorney and business advisor with more than 40 years of experience. Most recently, Baer served as chief legal officer at Airbnb, Inc., where he oversaw its legal, community policy and ethics and compliance functions. Prior to joining Airbnb, Baer served as chief legal officer at Liberty Media, UnitedHealth Group and Qwest Communications. He also previously served as chairman of the litigation department of Sherman & Howard in Denver.
“We are excited to bring Rich on board and to benefit from his more than two decades of experience and expertise as a senior leader at a variety of complex businesses,” Jennifer Witz, chief executive officer of SiriusXM, said in a press release. “I’m confident that his ability to navigate legal issues and balance the needs of a business will enable him to succeed here at SiriusXM. I look forward to working closely with him and benefiting from his perspectives and insights as we execute our strategic plans and shape the future of our company.”
“On behalf of everyone at SiriusXM, I want to thank Pat for his dedication, support and unwavering commitment to SiriusXM,” Witz said. “Over his nearly 27 years with the company, few people have made a more indelible mark on SiriusXM than Pat. We wish him well in his very well-deserved retirement.”
“As a long-time listener, I could not be more excited to be joining SiriusXM. I look forward to working alongside Jennifer and the rest of my colleagues to bolster the company’s legal, compliance, governance and operational foundation as we work to achieve our strategic priorities and drive the business forward,” Baer said in a press release.
In addition to his professional accomplishments, Baer has served as the chairman and long-standing board member of National Jewish Health, the chairman of the Colorado Workforce Development Council and a board member of the Colorado Legal Aid Foundation, the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, the Duke University School of Law Board of Visitors, the executive advisory board of the Daniels College of Business and the Colorado Campaign for Inclusive Excellence. Baer also served as chair of the board of directors at CommerceHub.
Baer received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Columbia University and a J.D. from the Duke University School of Law.
He will split his time between the SiriusXM office in New York and Denver.