Saigin

Govender

Saigin Govender is the former CTO of Block Renovation — a Series C venture-backed startup aimed at redefining the $450B renovation industry. Prior to Block, Saigin held roles at various technology companies. He was Director, Artificial Intelligence at Meta, where he led product for AI Research; Chief Product and Technology Officer at Tumblr, where he oversaw product management, data science, and engineering; Vice President of Product Innovation at Verizon Media; and a product and engineering leader at Amazon Alexa, where he was part of the small team that launched the original Amazon Echo. Prior to his career in the US, Saigin held positions at a number of major Canadian technology, media and telecom companies.

Outside of his core duties, Saigin is an active participant in the technology speaking circuit; past highlights include interviewing with Oprah Winfrey, SXSW, Variety Entertainment and various international trade delegations.

Saigin earned his Bachelor of Applied Science and Engineering degree from the University of Toronto with a specialization in Nanotechnology. He subsequently earned his MBA from INSEAD (France/Singapore).

Saigin was born in South Africa. He immigrated to Canada at 15, and spent over 14 years in Toronto. He later immigrated to the US, and is currently residing in Saint Petersburg, Florida with his wife.