upGrad appoints Venkatesh Tarakkad as Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

upGrad, one of Asia’s largest integrated learning, skilling and workforce development majors has named Venkatesh Tarakkad as the first Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Venkatesh led Finance, Inventory, and strategic initiatives at DealShare and assumes his role at upGrad effective March 1, 2024.

 He will be responsible for overseeing upGrad’s domestic and global financial strategies, encompassing a broader spectrum of areas such as investor relations, business finance, corporate finance, enterprise/accounting controllership, financial planning and analysis, risk management, tax, and treasury functions. 

 Previously, he helped companies build and scale their financial operations, established compliance and Governance frameworks, automated processes including ERP implementations, managed acquisitions, led funding rounds and took a company public. He’s held numerous leadership positions across other notable brands like Ecom Express, TCNS Clothing, Siam Makro Thailand, Metro Cash & Carry and Coca-Cola India after starting his career with Ernst & Young in the early 90s.

 Commenting on his appointment, Mayank Kumar, Co-founder & MD of upGrad said, “Venkatesh is a seasoned enterprise leader, and his appointment marks a strategic leap forward in our growth journey, both in India and globally. We’ve laid a rock-solid business foundation so far, built and scaled our offerings, and as we strive for global leadership, his operational excellence will ensure a robust credit profile, end-to-end compliance, and transparent corporate and financial governance within the upGrad ecosystem." Venkatesh will be based out of upGrad's HQ in Mumbai.

 With this key appointment, Rohit Agarwal - presently leading finance operations, will maintain a crucial role within upGrad's ecosystem, extending his responsibilities globally to lead operations in all regions outside of India.