Crown Castle names Kris Hinson as CFO, COO to depart

Crown Castle Inc. (NYSE: CCI) announced that Sunit Patel, EVP and Chief Financial Officer, will retire effective March 31, 2027, following the filing of the company's 2026 Form 10-K.

Kris Hinson, currently serving as EVP and Chief Commercial Officer, will be appointed CFO effective April 1, 2027. Hinson previously held the role of VP-Corporate Finance and Treasurer at Crown Castle, where his responsibilities included investor relations, strategic planning, and treasury. Before joining Crown Castle, he spent 13 years at ExxonMobil in various finance leadership roles, most recently as Director of Investor Relations. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and an AB in Economics from Harvard College.

Separately, Cathy Piche, EVP and Chief Operating Officer, will step down from her COO role effective September 23, 2026. She will remain available as a special advisor until her departure on February 22, 2027. Crown Castle said it has initiated a search for her replacement. Piche had been with the company for 15 years, holding roles including Area President, Senior Vice President of Network, and COO.

"Sunit has been a critical part of the successful transition back to our core telecom infrastructure business," said Chris Hillabrant, Crown Castle's President and CEO, citing Patel's role in the sale of the company's fiber and small cell businesses.

"Kris has tremendous financial expertise, leadership skills and a deep knowledge of our business," Hillabrant added.

Crown Castle owns, operates, and leases approximately 40,000 cell towers across the U.S.

You May Also Be Interested In

• Users Reporting Some Usage Restored to ThinkOrSwim and Schwab Mobile/Desktop Platform
• Evercore ISI on The Vita Coco Co. Inc (COCO): '2027 ocean freight rates still the key variable'
• SpaceX in talks with Crown Castle to secure 80,000 US cell sites