DroneUp promotes chief growth officer

Virginia Beach-based DroneUp has promoted Rishap “Rish” Malhotra to be its growth officer, a newly created position at the autonomous drone delivery company.

Malhotra had been DroneUp’s senior vice president of corporate development, and heading up the company’s mergers and acquisitions will be part of his new job, which the company announced Thursday. He will also be responsible for overseeing growth initiatives, including corporate strategy, sales, marketing and corporate development.

“Over the course of several quarters, I have been working closely with Rish to develop our growth strategy centered on our autonomous last mile delivery ecosystem, and I couldn’t be more pleased that we have found a leader in Rish who is ideally suited to now execute that strategy,” Tom Walker, CEO and founder of DroneUp, said in a statement. “With an impressive track record in business growth and a deep understanding of the retail and technology industry, Rish is well-equipped to bring our affordable last mile delivery solutions to leading retailers, [quick-service restaurant] chains and logistics partners.”

Prior to working for DroneUp, Malhotra served in executive roles for J. Walter Thompson, Saatchi & Saatchi and CNBC India.

He earned an MBA from the Mason School of Business at William & Mary, a bachelor’s degree in commerce from Delhi University and a bachelor’s in business administration from Annamalai University.