Lightspeed Commerce Inc. announced the appointments of Sameer Samat and Odilon Almeida to its Board of Directors, effective October 1, 2025. As Lightspeed continues to execute on its profitable growth strategy, the addition of Mr. Samat's deep product and technology expertise and Mr. Almeida's extensive industry experience fortifies two strategically important areas for the Board. Mr. Samat is currently President of the Android Ecosystem at Google, where he leads global teams responsible for Android across mobile devices, wearables, automotive systems, televisions, and augmented/extended reality (AR/XR), as well as the Google Play Store and developer tools.
Over his career, he has played pivotal roles in building and scaling key strategic initiatives. Mr. Samat was a founding member of Google's Commerce team, where he started Google Shopping and served as Vice President for Google's Shopping and Travel search products, building both into large-scale businesses responsible for the merchant and travel partner ecosystems. Prior to Google, he founded Mohomine, a cloud-based AI automation company acquired by Tungsten Automation (formerly Kofax), where he then served as EVP of Products. Mr. Samat serves on the board of Open English, a leader in online English language learning.
Mr. Almeida is a seasoned global leader with 40+ years of experience driving growth and transformation across the financial services, fintech, technology, and consumer goods sectors. He has led successful turnarounds, digital transformations, and global expansions across the U.S., Europe, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Mr. Almeida is currently Managing Principal of AJ Holdings and Operating Partner at Advent International, with a particular focus on growth initiatives that support higher sales and earnings.
Mr. Almeida also serves on various boards including NCR Atleos, MarineMax, and Amerant Bancorp. Previously, he was CEO and a Board Member of ACI Worldwide, a global payments software and solutions provider, and served as President of Western Union overseeing a $5 billion consumer business across more than 200 countries and territories. In conjunction with these appointments, Patrick Pichette and Rob Williams will be stepping down from the Board.
Mr. Pichette's departure is effective September 30, 2025, following seven years of service, including multiple terms as Chair. Mr. Williams will conclude his Board service on December 31, 2025, after more than 7 years, including a term as Chair of the Company's Risk Committee.
