Zomato’s Chief People Officer Akriti Chopra Resigns After 13 Years Amid Governance Concerns

Akriti Chopra, co-founder and Chief People Officer of Zomato, has resigned after 13 years with the company, effective September 27, 2024. Her departure raises governance concerns linked to potential conflicts of interest following Zomato’s acquisition of Blinkit, whose founder is her husband. Chopra is the fifth co-founder to exit, highlighting significant leadership changes at Zomato.

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Zomato’s chief people officer and co-founder, Akriti Chopra, has resigned from the food delivery platform effective immediately. A filing with the stock exchange indicates that she is leaving to explore other opportunities. Chopra, one of Zomato’s longest-serving employees, started with the company in 2011 as a senior manager in finance and operations. She was promoted to chief financial officer in 2019 and became a co-founder prior to the company’s IPO.

 

Zomato’s CPO resigns after 13 years

In her latest position, she also served as Zomato’s chief people officer. A graduate of Lady Shri Ram College and a qualified chartered accountant, she is reported to have played a significant role in establishing Zomato’s in-house legal, governance, risk, and compliance teams. Chopra has also been key in facilitating multiple funding rounds for Zomato while it was still a private company and in setting up the company’s international presence, although it has since exited those markets.

In her resignation email to CEO Deepinder Goyal, she wrote, “Deepi, as discussed, I am formally submitting my resignation effective today, September 27, 2024. It has been an incredibly enriching journey over the past 13 years. Thank you for everything. I’m always just a call away. Wishing you and Eternal all the best.” This email was shared in a stock exchange filing.

 

Zomato’s CPO resigns amid governance concerns

Zomato’s Chief People Officer Akriti Chopra Resign In its exchange filing, Zomato stated, “We would like to inform you that Ms. Akriti Chopra, Co-Founder & Chief People Officer designated as Senior Management Personnel (SMP), has tendered her resignation effective September 27, 2024.” The company noted that Chopra is leaving to pursue other interests, as indicated in their BSE filing.

Chopra’s resignation comes amid concerns from several shareholders regarding potential conflicts of interest and governance issues following Zomato’s acquisition of Blinkit in 2022, as Blinkit’s founder, Albinder Dhindsa, is Chopra’s husband.

Her departure is significant as it marks the fifth co-founder to leave Zomato since the company’s inception. Other notable exits include Gunjan Patidar, Mohit Gupta, Gaurav Gupta, and Pankaj Chaddah. Furthermore, several senior executives have also departed from Zomato in recent years.