Udemy, the leading online skills marketplace and learning platform, recently announced the return of Eren Bali, the company's co-founder, as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Bali, who previously served as Udemy's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) until 2014, has taken on the role of CTO effective August 12, 2024. His return marks a significant change in the company's leadership structure.
Bali's appointment comes as a strategic move to accelerate Udemy's product strategy, lead the evolution of learning with AI, and deliver innovation and value to all customers. In his new role, Bali will oversee Udemy's engineering, data, and technical program management teams, working closely with Udemy's Chief Product Officer to advance the company's product strategy and drive growth across the enterprise business.
The transition in leadership also involves the departure of Venu Venugopal, who has served as Udemy's CTO since May 2019. Venugopal will continue to support the company in an advisory capacity to ensure a seamless transition.
Greg Brown, Udemy's President and CEO, expressed his enthusiasm for Bali's return, citing his extensive background in successful new product launches, geographic market expansions, and building high-performing teams. Brown emphasized Bali's instrumental role in building Udemy from its inception and his passion for the company's mission.
Bali also shared his excitement about the opportunity to rejoin Udemy in an operating capacity, highlighting the company's growth and its position as a leading skills development and validation platform. He emphasized the potential for advancements in generative AI to redefine the way people develop skills, expressing his commitment to accelerating a culture of continuous innovation at Udemy.
Notably, Bali's return to Udemy follows his tenure as the CEO of Carbon Health Technologies, a technology-enabled healthcare provider that he co-founded in 2015. His return to Udemy signifies a pivotal moment for the company as it aims to leverage his expertise and experience to drive further innovation and growth.
The press release also acknowledged Venu's contributions to Udemy over the past five years, recognizing his leadership in building a world-class engineering organization and scaling the consumer marketplace.
These changes in leadership structure underscore Udemy's commitment to advancing its product strategy and delivering value to its global customer base. With Bali's return as CTO, the company is poised to capitalize on his vision and expertise to propel Udemy to new heights in the online learning and skills development space. The market has reacted to these announcements by moving the company's shares 1.7% to a price of $7.63. For the full picture, make sure to review Udemy's 8-K report.
