Satjiv S. Chahil

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Satjiv Singh Chahil (born October 19, 1950) is an Indian‑American business executive who helped shape multimedia and marketing in the technology industry. Over the years he held top roles at major companies such as Apple, IBM, HP, Palm, Newbridge Networks, and Sony, and he is known for pushing how computers and entertainment work together.

Early life and education
Chahil was born in Amritsar, India. He studied at The Lawrence School, Sanawar, earned a Bachelor of Commerce from Punjab University, and then completed a master’s degree at the Thunderbird School of Global Management in 1976.

Career highlights
- IBM (began 1976): Helped with the introduction of automated teller machines and the spread of barcode technology.
- Xerox (1979–1988): Led multilingual workstations and helped promote Unicode, a key step in language computing.
- Apple (1988–1997): Served as Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing and led the New Media, Internet and Entertainment division. He pushed multimedia into personal computers and built partnerships with Toshiba, Warner Bros., the American Film Institute, Paramount Pictures, and Tom Cruise for Mission: Impossible. He helped organize the first webcast at the Grammy Awards (1996) and worked on landmark projects like the Abbey Road Studios alliance and other entertainment‑tech collaborations.
- Newbridge Networks and Palm (late 1990s–2000s): As Chief Marketing Officer at Newbridge Networks, he helped reposition broadband technology. At Palm Inc., he led marketing, helped drive the company’s IPO, and fostered mobile computing innovations. He later became involved with PalmSource and Quickoffice (which later became Quickoffice and was acquired by Google).
- Sony and Hewlett‑Packard (1997–2012+): As an advisor to Sony, he helped develop the Vaio line and other digital convergence efforts. At HP, he was Senior Vice President of Global Marketing for the Personal Systems Group and led campaigns like “The Computer is Personal Again,” partnering with celebrities such as Jay‑Z, Jerry Seinfeld, Vivienne Tam, Paulo Coelho, and Serena Williams. He also helped HP team up with Beats by Dr. Dre for limited edition laptops and worked on technology partnerships with Sony and the San Francisco 49ers.

Later work, philanthropy and public service
Chahil has been active in promoting technology, education, and social initiatives. He has served on the Millennium Council of the American Film Institute, supported the Clinton Global Initiative, and acted as a Trustee of the American India Foundation. He has been involved in programs to boost education in Punjab and has supported various film, art, and technology communities. He has also been involved with Cinequest in Silicon Valley and spoken at many global conferences and universities.

Personal life
Chahil lives in Los Altos, California.

In summary, Satjiv S. Chahil is a veteran tech executive who bridged marketing, multimedia, and entertainment across several major companies, while also contributing to education, culture, and international collaboration.