Square Names Blizzard Entertainment Executive As Next CFO

Square, Jack Dorsey’s digital payments company, announced Thursday (January 3) that it named Blizzard Entertainment chief financial officer Amrita Ahuja as its new CFO.

In a press release, Square said Ahuja will join the company in January, reporting to Dorsey. In her current role at Blizzard Entertainment, the unit of Activision Blizzard, Ahuja oversees the financials for a business that has more than $2 billion in annualized revenue. She has been with Activision Blizzard for eight years, holding a number of finance and strategy roles in the company. Some of those also include SVP of investor relations, VP of finance and operations, and VP of strategy and business development, Square said in the press release. Prior to her stint at Activision Blizzard, Ahuja held various roles at Fox Networks Group, the Walt Disney Company, and Morgan Stanley, noted the company in the press release.

“In Amrita, we have found an amazing, multidimensional business leader,” Dorsey said in prepared remarks. “Amrita brings the ability to consider and balance opportunities across our entire business, and she will help strengthen our discipline as we invest, build, and scale. She is willing to challenge herself and others, has the courage to take principled risks, and is passionate about our customers and our purpose.”

In October Square saw its stock take a hit after Dorsey revealed in a Tweet that Sarah Friar, the then-CFO, was leaving the company. Friar was seen as Dorsey’s right-hand person, so her departure spooked investors. Friar committed to staying on at the company until December. She helped steer Square through its initial public offering and played a critical role in helping the company build up its mobile services. Analysts were concerned that her departure would leave a big void and that it would be hard to find a replacement of her caliber. Square is trying to alleviate some of that concern with the appointment of Ahuja.