SiriusXM hires former Airbnb top lawyer

SiriusXM Holdings has hired Richard Baer as executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary, effective March 3. He will succeed Patrick Donnelly, who is retiring.

Baer is a former chief legal officer (CLO) at Airbnb, where he oversaw the company’s legal, community policy and ethics and compliance functions. Before joining Airbnb, Baer was CLO at Liberty Media, UnitedHealth Group and Qwest Communications.

A SiriusXM SEC filing last month stated that, to help with the transition, Donnelly would continue to be a full-time employee until April 4, 2025 and that after the arrival of his successor he would become an adviser to them until the end of the year.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Donnelly took up his position with SiriusXM in May 1998. It states that during his time with the company he has also been a member of the committee of unsecured creditors in the Hertz bankruptcy proceeding on a freelance basis. Before joining SiriusXM he was deputy general counsel with ITT Corporation. He had previously been an associate with law firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett.

Jennifer Witz, CEO of SiriusXM, says in a statement: ‘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. 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 [the company]. 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.’