Udemy has named Hugo Sarrazin as its new president, CEO, and board member, effective immediately.

Sarrazin steps into the role following Greg Brown’s four-year tenure, during which Udemy significantly expanded its enterprise learning business. Brown will remain as a non-executive advisor until the end of the year to facilitate a seamless transition.

Alongside this leadership change, Udemy has reaffirmed its financial outlook provided on 13 February, signalling stability amid the transition.

Expertise in tech-driven transformation

Sarrazin brings a wealth of experience in scaling SaaS businesses and driving AI-powered innovation. He joins Udemy from UKG, a global human capital management cloud provider, where he led international product and technology teams for nearly four years.

Under his leadership, UKG integrated multiple acquisitions and advanced its offerings in workforce management, payroll, and HCM solutions.

Prior to UKG, Sarrazin spent 26 years at McKinsey & Company, where he advised global firms on cloud transformation, mergers and acquisitions, and go-to-market strategy. He also co-founded McKinsey Digital Labs and McKinsey Design, pioneering digital solutions that reshaped business models.

Sohaib Abbasi, Independent Chairman of Udemy’s Board of Directors, expressed confidence in Sarrazin’s ability to steer the company forward.

“With his expertise in strategy, innovation, and business transformation, Hugo is uniquely qualified to lead Udemy as we enter a new phase of growth. He has broad leadership experience in scaling and transforming SaaS businesses, driving product-led and inorganic growth,” Abbasi said.

“Under Hugo’s leadership, Udemy is well-positioned to enhance efficiency and deliver exciting AI-enabled innovations to instructors, learners, and businesses.”

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A vision for AI-powered learning at scale

Energised by Udemy’s global reach, Sarrazin sees vast potential for redefining learning and professional development through generative AI.

“Udemy, with its massive global scale, is poised to lead innovation in the way people learn and develop professional skills,” he said.

“Built on founder Eren Bali’s vision to make learning accessible to everyone, anywhere, Udemy is leading the way in redefining the future of learning and work. By leveraging the power of generative AI and the scale of our global network of instructors, we now have the potential to elevate Udemy’s mission to unprecedented levels and to lead the next generation of learning and skills development.”

Sarrazin also emphasised collaboration as a key driver of future success.

“I look forward to working with Eren, the rest of the team, and all of Udemy’s valued stakeholders, including customers, instructors, and partners, to unlock future opportunities and usher Udemy into a period of significant expansion and impact,” he said.

Greg Brown’s lasting impact on Udemy

Brown departs Udemy with an impressive track record of growth. Under his leadership, Udemy Business expanded from US$100 million to over $500 million in annual recurring revenue.

Abbasi acknowledged Brown’s contributions: “Greg has been instrumental in scaling Udemy Business. Thanks to his leadership, we have a strong enterprise business with more than 17,000 customers. We wish him well in his future endeavours.”

Reflecting on his tenure, Brown expressed gratitude to Udemy’s employees, customers, and partners.

“It has been an incredible privilege to lead Udemy and work alongside such a talented and dedicated team. I am proud of what we have accomplished together, and I am confident that under Hugo’s leadership, Udemy will continue to thrive and achieve even greater success in the future,” he said.

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A track record of innovation and leadership

Beyond his tenure at UKG and McKinsey, Sarrazin also serves on the board of directors at executive search firm Spencer Stuart, where he provides strategic guidance on corporate performance, governance, and cybersecurity.

His expertise in digital transformation and operational excellence has earned him recognition as a leader in driving market growth and business reinvention.

Sarrazin’s leadership promises to build on the company’s legacy while developing AI-driven innovations in learning.