upGrad has elevated Koell Hemdev to General Counsel & Chief Human Resources Officer, expanding her remit to include both the company’s legal and people functions.
In her new role, Hemdev will oversee upGrad’s legal and HR agendas while also spearheading a new initiative aimed at building a stronger community for the company’s alumni and prospective learners.
Nine years with upGrad
Hemdev joined upGrad in 2017 and has led the company’s legal function for the past nine years, building the function from the ground up as the business moved through multiple phases of growth and expansion.
With the expanded mandate, legal and people responsibilities will now sit under a single leadership charter, bringing governance, talent and culture closer together as upGrad looks to scale its operations.
Focus on people and governance
Commenting on her elevation, Koell Hemdev, General Counsel & Chief Human Resources Officer, upGrad, said "As upGrad has grown, so has the need for functions that used to operate independently to speak with one voice. Taking on HR alongside General Counsel is a natural extension of that — it means our people strategy and our governance strategy are now built by the same team, from the same playbook.
As we enter this next phase, my focus will be on strengthening our people, culture and governance foundations to enable sustainable scale, while building a stronger and more connected community of alumni and prospective learners."
The expanded role places Hemdev at the intersection of upGrad’s people, culture and governance priorities as the company enters its next phase of growth.