Aakash Educational Services, under the umbrella of Byju’s, has named Deepak Mehrotra, a former executive at Pearson India, as its new Managing Director and CEO, effective immediately, as announced by the company on Monday. With over 35 years of extensive experience spanning various sectors including FMCG, telecommunications, and education, Mehrotra brings a wealth of expertise to his new role.
Byju Raveendran, Co-founder and CEO of Byju’s, expressed confidence in Mehrotra's ability to drive the company's ambitious growth plans and capitalize on the current momentum. Mehrotra, equipped with a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from IIT Roorkee, an MMS from JBIMS, and having completed an Executive program from The Wharton School in Philadelphia, is well-equipped to steer Aakash Educational Services towards further success.
Shailesh Haribhakti, Chairman of AESL (Aakash Educational Services Limited), lauded Mehrotra's strategic acumen and operational prowess, highlighting his potential to strengthen the company's position as a leader in the industry.
Mehrotra's appointment follows the departure of CEO Abhishek Maheshwari and CFO Vipan Joshi, who left the organization amid shareholder disputes approximately seven months ago. Prior to joining Aakash, Mehrotra held the position of Managing Director at Ashirvad Pipes and has also held roles at prominent companies such as Bharti Airtel and Coca-Cola.
While there were earlier speculations regarding Aakash Chaudhry, the promoter of Aakash Educational Services, returning as CEO, discussions on this matter did not materialize.
Byju’s had acquired Aakash Educational Services for nearly $1 billion in 2021 through a combination of equity and cash transactions. In June 2023, the edtech giant announced plans for Aakash to go public later in the same year.
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