upGrad Appoints Venkatesh Tarakkad as First Chief Financial Officer

By siliconindia  |  Friday, 01 March 2024, 02:03:08 PM IST

upGrad Appoints Venkatesh Tarakkad as First Chief Financial Officer
Edtech unicorn upGrad, founded by Ronnie Screwvala, has announced the appointment of Venkatesh Tarakkad as its inaugural Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Formerly spearheading finance, inventory, and strategic initiatives at DealShare, Tarakkad officially assumed his role at upGrad on March 1 and will be stationed at the company's Mumbai headquarters.
Mayank Kumar, Co-Founder & MD of upGrad, highlighted the significance of Tarakkad's operational expertise in fortifying the company's credit profile, ensuring end-to-end compliance, and maintaining transparent corporate and financial governance. As upGrad pursues global leadership, Tarakkad's appointment is expected to contribute to the company's solid business foundation and its efforts to scale offerings.
In his capacity as CFO, Tarakkad will play a pivotal role in overseeing upGrad’s financial strategies on both domestic and global fronts. This encompasses a wide range of areas, including investor relations, business finance, corporate finance, enterprise and accounting controllership, financial planning and analysis, risk management, tax, and treasury functions.
Tarakkad brings extensive experience to the role, having previously assisted companies in building and scaling their financial operations. His background includes establishing compliance and governance frameworks, automating processes (including enterprise resource planning implementations), managing acquisitions, leading funding rounds, and overseeing a company's public offering. His leadership roles span notable brands such as Ecom Express, TCNS Clothing, Siam Makro Thailand, Metro Cash & Carry, and Coca-Cola India, with his career commencing at Ernst & Young in the early 90s.

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