Udemy, a global leader in AI-powered skills development with nearly 80 million learners worldwide, has announced the appointment of Ozzie Goldschmied as Chief Technology Officer (CTO), effective immediately. At the same time, Udemy co-founder Eren Bali will assume the newly created role of Head of Innovation, spearheading the company’s future-forward product strategy with a concentrated focus on artificial intelligence and breakthrough learning experiences.
Ozzie Goldschmied to Spearhead AI Transformation as CTO
Goldschmied will report directly to President and CEO Hugo Sarrazin and lead Udemy’s Engineering, Design, Product, Data Science, and Technical Product Management teams. His mandate: scale Udemy’s transformation into a comprehensive, AI-powered workforce reskilling platform.
“Ozzie’s deep experience in building innovative enterprise solutions will be instrumental as we evolve Udemy into a world-class AI platform,” said Sarrazin. “We’re excited to accelerate our strategy under his leadership.”
Goldschmied brings nearly 30 years of tech industry leadership, including his foundational role as co-founder and Head of Engineering at Dayforce, later acquired by Ceridian, where he served as CTO. There, he led a global team of over 1,200 R&D and product professionals and was integral to developing the human capital management platform that became Ceridian’s flagship solution—rebranded to Dayforce in 2024.
Most recently, he was CEO of GoldenRock Inc., advising private equity and venture capital firms on scaling AI-driven products.
“Udemy sits at the intersection of two powerful forces: the AI revolution and the global demand for continuous skills development,” Goldschmied said. “We have massive potential to lead this space by harnessing our scale and content creator ecosystem.”
Eren Bali to Lead Udemy’s New Innovation Studio
As Head of Innovation, Bali will focus exclusively on the future of AI in learning, advancing Udemy’s product vision and founding a new Innovation Studio—a dedicated environment to explore the next generation of skilling experiences.
“This role gives me the freedom to return to what I’m most passionate about—pushing the boundaries of technology to transform learning,” said Bali. “I’m excited to partner with Ozzie to drive our next chapter.”
The move reflects Udemy’s commitment to balancing visionary innovation and enterprise scalability. Bali’s new role allows him to focus on long-term, strategic R&D, while Goldschmied oversees execution and operational excellence across Udemy’s technical organization.
Strategic Alignment for Growth in the AI Era
This executive realignment comes as Udemy deepens its position as a skills development platform of choice for the AI economy, empowering individuals and enterprises to navigate the rapidly evolving job landscape.
“With Eren focusing on breakthrough innovation and Ozzie scaling our enterprise capabilities, we are well positioned to redefine learning for the AI era,” added Sarrazin.
Udemy’s strategic pivot reflects the growing global imperative to reskill workforces amid technological disruption—and a clear bet that AI will fundamentally reshape how skills are taught, measured, and applied.
With Goldschmied’s enterprise expertise and Bali’s visionary leadership in innovation, Udemy is sharpening its focus on AI-powered upskilling. This new chapter positions the company to deliver transformative value to learners, businesses, and educators around the world as it becomes the definitive AI skills development platform for the future of work.
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