Upbound Group just added tech muscle to its board.
Charu Jain
Charu Jain, a senior vice president at Alaska Air Group, is joining as an independent director. Her appointment, effective September 10, brings digital transformation expertise to the flexible leasing company.
At Alaska Air, Jain drives innovation strategy and oversees merchandising. She’s known for leading large-scale tech overhauls—skills Upbound can tap.
“Charu has extensive experience as a senior leader in delivering technology and digital transformation solutions,” said Mitch Fadel, Upbound’s CEO.
Jain’s tech chops run deep. She joined Alaska Air in 2017 as CIO, where she merged Virgin America’s systems and pushed mobile tools across the company. Before that, she held tech leadership roles at IBM, PG&E, United Airlines, and PwC.
Her addition to the board lines up with Upbound’s tech ambitions, as it works to modernize lease-to-own shopping.
The company has evolved significantly in recent years. In 2021, Rent-A-Center’s acquisition of Acima Holdings nearly doubled its business. Two years later, in 2023, the company rebranded as Upbound Group. It’s now a multi-brand platform, with Rent-A-Center and Acima under its umbrella.
Fadel sees Jain’s expertise fitting right in. He’s looking for her “insights and contributions to Upbound as we continue to implement technology-driven solutions to serve our retail partners and enable our customers to shop when, how, and where they want.”
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