upGrad bolsters leadership with 2 new hires to support high growth momentum

upGrad, Asia's largest integrated learning, skilling, and workforce development company, has announced the appointment of two senior hires to support its growth momentum while also strengthening its internal operations. Joining the leadership, the company welcomed Raj Dogra as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Rajiv H. Singh as the Vice President, New Initiatives, effective June 2023.

 In his current profile at upGrad, Dogra would be spearheading the company’s enterprise-wide information security and data privacy initiatives while also introducing enterprise solutions, managing automation projects, optimizing technology costs, and overseeing information security programs designed for global offices. Raj was the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Emeritus in his previous role, where he contributed to a range of meaningful initiatives. From spearheading IT Strategy and Enterprise IT to overseeing Learning Tech, Cost Optimization Initiatives, IT PMO, ISO 9001 Compliance and Enterprise Security. Notably, he adeptly expanded the IT team, fostering a talented group of 35+ professionals while delivering multiple key projects focused on IT infrastructure, automation, and robust security implementations. Prior to Emeritus, he was managing upGrad’s network systems and compliance with data protection laws. Having previously held significant technology-focused roles and 15+ years of experience, Raj has a proven track record of planning, organizing, and directing IT operations for steering tangible business efficiencies.

 On the other hand, Rajiv has been onboarded to structure and lead a new business line. He will be entrusted with the responsibility of expanding the higher education and skilling market across Indian cities and setting up an omnichannel presence to further augment upGrad’s online business. A business builder and a deal maker, Rajiv built and executed a turbo-charged Retail Strategy for Ola 2W Electric by operationalizing 750 COCO stores in 9 months in 433 cities. Before Ola, Singh was a member of the 'Think Tank' at cartrade.com His last role, at Cartrade, post the incubation of the online used car classifieds and physical franchise stores was to integrate the used-vehicle online and offline auction platforms for growth. Prior to Cartrade.com, Rajiv was President & CEO of Team India Managers Ltd - a franchise fund. The fund grew entrepreneurship through franchise systems across Education, QSR, and Retail. He has earlier co-founded and exited 3 companies.

 Commenting on the development, Mayank Kumar, Co-founder, and MD, upGrad said, "I’m thrilled to welcome these leaders onboard as they will support our long-term plans and business ambitions. Their extensive industry experience shall be instrumental in guiding upGrad as we advance into the next phase of our growth. While Raj’s strong expertise and affinity with the brand will ensure stronger network systems and compliance with applicable laws in India/globally, Rajiv’s deep market understanding and business competencies will fuel our ambition of becoming a household name.”

 "I am honoured to be back and take on the role of heading crucial operations at upGrad and its divisions. Known for its rich legacy of innovation and experiential learning, I’m excited about leveraging cutting-edge cloud technology and unlocking unprecedented scalability / flexibility, enabling seamless growth and innovation. Through strategic investments in enterprise infrastructure and applications, coupled with intelligent automation and scalable technologies, we will empower our teams to operate at peak efficiency while fortifying our organization with robust information security and compliance measures,” said Raj Dogra, Chief Information Officer, upGrad.

 "I am excited to take on the role of overseeing upGrad's deep India penetration and contribute towards its ambition of democratizing higher education for learners across tier 3 cities and beyond. There's a high intent to pursue education amongst individuals in non-metros and we need stronger local touchpoints to ensure we turn our shared dream of democratising quality higher-ed into reality for millions who are not privy to high-speed internet or other tech induced privileges,” concluded Rajiv H Singh, Vice President, New Initiatives, upGrad.