While the Great Resignation has transformed into Great Reshuffle, EdTech platform BYJU’s roped in two leaders from Facebook and WarnerMedia. BYJU’S lab has appointed former Facebook tech lead Majid Yazdani as Vice President. 

The official communique states that a Computer Engineering alumnus of the Sharif University, Majid has over 15 years of experience in technology and AI. He earned his Ph.D. from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in June 2013. 

He previously worked as a staff scientist at Linkedin and at the Idiap Research Institute in Switzerland. He joined Facebook AI (Meta AI) in 2018 to construct neural networks with compartmentalized knowledge and reasoning. He has contributed significantly to FB's customer support using large-scale generative language models. He also holds three patents and has 24 research papers in the fields of natural language processing and artificial intelligence.

Commenting on his appointment, Dev Roy, Chief Innovation and Learning Officer, BYJU’S said, "We are excited about having Majid on board and scaling up BYJU'S Lab by harnessing the global pool of highly-skilled technical talent. At BYJU'S, we are entirely student-centric at our core… By assembling a robust team of high-caliber specialists, BYJU'S aspires to make technology accessible and approachable. This will allow us to push limits, create value, and create more impactful learning programmes for students globally."

In another announcement, the company stated that Osmo from BYJU’S has roped in former WarnerMedia executive Shawn Smith as its first Global Head of Communications.

While the official statement of Osmo read that Shawn most recently held the title of Executive Director of Publicity and Communications for WarnerMedia Global Brands and Experiences, where she developed global communications campaigns for DC franchises including Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, and more, and led franchise publicity campaigns for WarnerMedia’s animated properties such as Looney Tunes, Space Jam, Scooby-Doo, and other fan favourites from the Kids, Young Adults and Classics portfolio.

Prior to this, Shawn held a long tenure at The Walt Disney Company, serving as Senior Manager of Communications for Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media (DCPI) for eight years, before becoming the company’s first-ever Senior Manager of Communications for Diversity & Inclusion in 2016, managing internal and external communications for its diversity initiatives. 

At DCPI, she developed and executed strategic campaigns for the company’s $50+ billion licensing business and led publicity campaigns for brands like Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Disney Store.

Commenting on her appointment, Cherian Thomas, Senior Vice President of International Business at Osmo said, “As we continue to build the Osmo brand and bring more inspiring and impactful learning experiences to students around the world, we’re excited to have Shawn’s leadership and talent at the helm of our communications division at this exciting time in our company’s journey.”