Samir Saini

A Senior Technology Advisor at Sarona Partners, Samir Saini has over two decades of experience leading digital transformations and driving organizational growth for major corporations and large US cities. Previously, he served as an information technology Commissioner and Chief Information Officer for New York City, where he was responsible for managing all IT and telecommunications shared services across over 100 city agencies. Samir Saini renegotiated IT contracts to maximize savings, and strengthened overall IT operational excellence during this time. He also launched the NotifyNYC web-based application to disseminate event notifications directly to New Yorkers, as well as the NYC Business Portal enabling centralized online services and transactions for all NYC small businesses.

Prior to serving New York City, Samir Saini spent 4 years as CIO for the City of Atlanta, managing all IT shared services across more than 30 divisions, including the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, the water utility, city planning, and public works agencies. In this role, he developed a city-wide smart city strategy that launched over 20 projects utilizing artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things to enhance citizen engagement and improve overall mobility and public safety. He led the deployment of the Atlanta Streetcar mobile payment application, as well as an AI-powered adaptive traffic signal system, the first of it's kind in the State of Georgia.

Samir Saini graduated cum laude with a degree in Civil Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, where he also serves as a member of the Board of Visitors. In his free time, he enjoys reading, camping, hiking, playing tennis, and traveling.