BYJU’S appoints Infosys HR leader Richard Lobo as advisor

BYJU'S has appointed Richard Lobo, former EVP and Head of Human Resources of Infosys, as an exclusive advisor to help transform the edtech's HR function and strengthen its employee-centric culture. 

Lobo—who brings expertise in human resources, people process, and organisational transformation—will guide BYJU’S management on organisational change and transformation, the company said.

“His extensive experience and leadership in HR will be instrumental in further enriching our work culture and ensuring that the welfare of our team members remains at the core of every decision we take,” said Divya Gokulnath and Byju Raveendran, Co-founders of BYJU'S.

With a 23-year career at Infosys, Lobo led the HR function at Infosys from 2015. His tenure at the IT company will conclude on August 31, 2023.

“I’m excited to take on this pivotal role and work closely with the team at BYJU’s to build on their achievements and help transform the organisation to be future-ready,” Lobo said in a statement.

“I look forward to working with the leadership to scale global organisational design, innovate people practices, and help strengthen the foundation of the enterprise to support its next phase of growth,” he added.

The development comes after the edtech firm appointed Mohandas Pai, former CFO and Board Member of Infosys, and Rajnish Kumar, former Chairperson of State Bank of India, to its advisory council in July.

Meanwhile, BYJU’S faces additional challenges, including delays in filing financial statements, conflicts with lenders over a $1.2-billion term loan B, and a dispute with US-based investment fund Davidson Kempner regarding its test prep unit Aakash Educational Services Ltd.

The edtech unicorn has been plagued with mounting losses, layoffs, and pending loans after the pandemic-led edtech boom.

The firm has also implemented job cuts as part of its ongoing cost-cutting measures that have been in effect since last year. In June, it initiated another round of job cuts that would impact more than 1,000 people.