EduTech firm Simplilearn hires ex-Rackspace product leader Anand Narayanan

Narayanan holds a master's degree in computer science and MBA from Texas; has also been with Dell for seven years

Online education and certification platform for working professionals Simplilearn has roped in Anand Narayanan, former product leader at cloud infrastructure provider Rackspace, as vice president of product and engineering.

Narayanan, who previously headed the cloud compute product division at Rackspace, will take charge of product innovation at Simplilearn to improve the learning experience for students on the platform.

"He (Narayanan) clearly understands the need to make learning highly convenient, and his deep understanding of product management and advanced engineering will provide the right impetus in elevating Simplilearn into a product admired by millions of professionals," said Krishna Kumar, founder & CEO at Simplilearn, in a statement.

An alumnus of NIIT Surathkal, Narayanan went on to do his masters in computer science from Texas A&M University followed by an MBA from the University of Texas. Prior to his stint at Rackspace, he worked with technology major Dell for seven years.

"I have always wanted to be in the field of education and had even contemplated joining academia at one point. I look forward to joining a passionate and driven team that builds great products, while fulfilling my personal passion around delivering world class education through technology," said Narayanan.