MAM
upGrad on-boards Rakesh Raju as director of brand marketing
Mumbai: Strengthening its leadership team, Asia’s higher Edtech major upGrad has announced the appointment of Rakesh Raju as the director of brand marketing.
In his new role at upGrad, Rakesh will be responsible for formulating go-to-market strategies and driving high-impact marketing initiatives to further strengthen the brand’s identity across online and offline channels.
An IIM Calcutta alumnus with over 12 years of work experience, Raju has led several marketing portfolios across FMCG and telecom industries. In his last stint with CavinKare, he joined as a senior brand manager and went on to head the e-commerce business and was subsequently promoted to a leadership role to manage the haircare portfolio for the domestic business. Prior to CavinKare, Rakesh had worked with Airtel as a senior product manager for the Telecom and airtel money business verticals.
Welcoming Rakesh to his new role, upGrad head of marketing Ankit Khirwal said, “We are elated to have Rakesh Raju on board. His business prowess and experience in leading brands’ marketing efforts make him an ideal choice for upGrad, especially at a time when we are growing by leaps and bounds and such strategic hirings shall further help us to drive maximum campaign-performance efficiencies.”
“The timing couldn’t have been any better – I am excited to join upGrad at such an important business juncture. I’ve always admired the leadership and the brand from the other side and now is the time I get to work with them closely for creating a stronger brand niche within an overcrowded space. Driving impactful education for millions requires commitment, and I hope to use my acquired skills and knowledge in a most optimum way to strengthen upGrad’s stature as the ‘higher-ed leader’ across levels,” concluded Rakesh.
Brands
FSS names Anand Krishnamurthi head of global digital delivery
Tech veteran to drive AI-first, cloud-led transformation in payments globally
CHENNAI: Financial Software and Systems (FSS), an AI-first payment infrastructure company, has appointed Anand Krishnamurthi as head of global digital delivery.
In his new role, Anand Krishnamurthi will lead FSS’s global digital delivery capabilities, focusing on AI-first and cloud-led transformation while ensuring predictable, high-quality outcomes for customers worldwide. He will be based in Chennai and report to V. Balasubramanian, CEO of FSS.
Bringing 28 years of experience in technology and digital transformation across banking, capital markets, financial services, and insurance, Anand has held senior leadership positions at Cognizant and NuSummit. He is recognised for scaling multi-geography delivery teams, leading mission-critical platforms, and embedding AI-driven automation in complex, regulated environments.
“What drew me to FSS is its deep payments expertise, strong product DNA, and the scale at which its platforms power real-world financial ecosystems,” said Anand Krishnamurthi. “I aim to strengthen delivery predictability, execution rigor, and engineering quality, building empowered teams that deliver measurable customer outcomes. FSS has a unique opportunity to create real-time, AI-infused payments infrastructure that is resilient, secure, and globally scalable.”
V. Balasubramanian added, “Anand’s track record in leading multi-geography delivery programs and AI-first operating models makes him the ideal leader for FSS as we accelerate our AI-driven digital payments business. His leadership will help us raise the bar for outcomes globally.”
This appointment is part of FSS’s broader push to build an AI-powered, cloud-native delivery organisation capable of meeting the evolving needs of banks, fintechs, and financial institutions worldwide.
