Unacademy Onboards New Chief People Officer To Drive Innovation & Growth

Edtech unicorn Unacademy has roped in Sandhydeep Purri as its new chief people officer (CPO). In the new role, Purri will be cultivating talent and driving a culture of innovation and progress at Unacademy. 

Purri has been an HR professional for more than 25 years. Her experience spans manufacturing, media & entertainment, consulting, IT, and retail. 

Before joining Unacademy, she was associated with Sapphire Foods as the CPO, overseeing HR strategies for brands like Pizza Hut and KFC. 

Purri has also worked with Aditya Birla Group, where she was responsible for organisational development and effectiveness initiatives across Aditya Birla Retail (now More Retail), Pantaloons Fashion Retail and Madura Fashion and Garments, including stores and non-store facilities.

“Her extensive experience and expertise promise to amplify our mission and will be invaluable as we continue to expand our team and scale up as an organisation,” said Unacademy’s cofounder and CEO Gaurav Munjal.

Chiming in, Purri said, “I look forward to collaborating with the talented team at Unacademy and driving transformative business initiatives that will contribute to the company’s continued growth and success through the people charter.”

The announcement comes a day after the organisation’s chief financial officer (CFO) Subramanian Ramachandran was reported to be planning an exit. According to media reports, Ramachandran has put down his papers and is currently serving his notice period.

In August, Vivek Sinha resigned from his post of COO after serving the edtech unicorn for three years. 

Lately, the Indian edtech industry has seen a lot of rejig at the top level. A few days ago, Eupheus Learning’s founder Sarvesh Shrivastava stepped down from his position as the managing director. He will, however, continue to be associated with the company as a non-executive director on the board, providing guidance and support. 

In September, Aakash was reported to have constituted an executive council to appoint a new CEO. Last month, the coaching centre was reported to be planning to bring back Aakash Chaudhry as the CEO.

Last month, BYJU’S also announced the appointment of its new CEO, Arjun Mohan. 

Since the onset of the funding winter, the edtech industry has suffered huge losses leading to layoffs. According to Inc42’s Indian Startup Layoff Tracker, the edtech sector, which boasts five unicorns, has laid off 9,871 employees since 2022.