Sinch CEO Laurinda Pang steps down, board begins search for new leader

The chief executive of Sinch, one of the world’s largest cloud communications platforms, has announced her intention to step down once a successor is in place, a transition she says is driven by momentum rather than difficulty, and timed deliberately to hand over a business in far better shape than the one she inherited.

In a post shared on LinkedIn on Thursday, the outgoing CEO confirmed she had informed the board of her plans, with a firm deadline attached. “Today I’m sharing that I’ve informed the Board of my intention to step down as CEO once a successor is appointed, no later than the end of this year,” she wrote.

Earlier this year, Robert Gerstmann, chief evangelist and co-founder of Sinch, spoke exclusively to Capacity. During the interview, he shared his expertise on how RCS, WhatsApp and AI-powered voice bots could transform enterprise communication. Gerstmann, explained how AI is transforming voice communications by enabling more natural, automated customer interactions while modernising outdated telecom infrastructure. Gerstmann said businesses are increasingly adopting AI-powered voice systems to improve customer experience, reduce response times, and support “agentic” AI conversations across multiple communication channels.

The news will be closely watched across the enterprise technology sector. Sinch sits at the intersection of cloud infrastructure, API-driven communications, and the fast-expanding market for AI-enhanced customer engagement, a space that counts some of the world’s largest banks, retailers, and technology platforms among its clients.

Three years post-restructure

When the CEO took the helm, Sinch was a sprawling collection of acquisitions, capable in parts, but not yet coherent as a whole. The company had expanded aggressively in the years prior, snapping up messaging providers and communications specialists across multiple continents, but the integrations had not kept pace. The task she inherited was considerable.

By her own account, that work is now largely complete. “Together, we have transformed from acquired silos to an integrated One Sinch, achieved our highest profitability, and reignited our growth trajectory,” she wrote.

She described the present moment in unambiguous terms: “Today, the business is accelerating with real momentum. We’re operating in an exciting industry with strong tailwinds, and we’re genuinely poised to win.”

The search for a successor

Sinch has not yet named a shortlist or indicated whether it will look internally or turn to an executive search firm. What is clear is that the incoming CEO will step into a company at an inflexion point; one with a cleaned-up balance sheet, a unified product architecture, and a management team that has been through the hard yards of integration.

The challenge for whoever takes the role will be different in character to what the departing CEO faced. Stabilisation gave way to integration; integration has given way to scale. The communications platform-as-a-service market, in which Sinch competes alongside Twilio, Vonage, and a cluster of regional specialists, is consolidating rapidly, and the companies that capture enterprise relationships in this cycle tend to hold them for years.

The outgoing CEO was emphatic that she intends to see the transition through properly. “I remain fully committed in my role until a successor is in place, ensuring continuity and a smooth and thoughtful handover,” she said, adding that the company’s operational priorities would not change in the interim: “We stay focused, keep executing, and continue building on the momentum we’ve created.”

“The opportunity ahead is about scaling what we’ve built and unlocking the next phase of growth,” the departing CEO said. She closed her post with a note of genuine optimism: “I’m excited about the future of Sinch and confident in what this team will achieve next.”

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