upGrad appoints Dealshare's Venkatesh Tarakkad as its first CFO

Venkatesh Tarakkad, Chief Financial Officer, upGrad

upGrad on March 1 appointed former Dealshare executive Venkatesh Tarakkad as the first chief financial officer (CFO) of the upskilling and higher edtech unicorn, which is aiming for a public listing in two years.

Tarakkad, who led finance, inventory, and strategic initiatives at DealShare, will be responsible for overseeing upGrad’s domestic and global financial strategies, the company said in a statement.

“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,” said Mayank Kumar, co-founder and managing director of upGrad.

According to the company, Tarakkad will be based at upGrad's headquarters in Mumbai and assumes his role on March 1.

The company added that Tarakkad’s role will encompass 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.

Rohit Agarwal, who is leading finance operations at upGrad, will maintain a role within the company, extending his responsibilities globally to lead operations in all regions outside of India, the company added.

Tarakkad has held several leadership positions across brands such as 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.