Venkatesh Tarakkad appointed as upGrad’s inaugural Chief Financial Officer

New Delhi, March 1 (IANS) Ronnie Screwvala-founded upGrad has appointed Venkatesh Tarakkad as its first Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Tarakkad, who previously led finance, inventory, and strategic initiatives at DealShare, assumed his role at upGrad starting March 1. He will be based out of the company’s headquarters in Mumbai.

Mayank Kumar, Co-founder & MD of upGrad, stated, “His operational excellence will ensure a robust credit profile, end-to-end compliance, and transparent corporate and financial governance within the upGrad ecosystem.”

Tarakkad’s responsibilities include overseeing upGrad’s domestic and global financial strategies, investor relations, business finance, corporate finance, accounting controllership, financial planning and analysis, risk management, tax, and treasury functions.

With a career that spans from the early 90s till now, Tarakkad has held leadership positions in companies like Ecom Express, TCNS Clothing, Siam Makro Thailand, Metro Cash & Carry, and Coca-Cola India. He has experience in building and scaling financial operations, establishing compliance and governance frameworks, managing acquisitions, and leading funding rounds.