Press Releases June 5, 2026 09:08 AM

Upwork Announces Board Refreshment, Strengthening Financial and Operational Expertise for Its Next Chapter

Upwork Strengthens Board with New Leaders to Drive AI-Enabled Future of Work

By Nina Shah UPWK

Upwork Inc. has announced new appointments to its Board of Directors, adding Claire Bramley and David Lissy to enhance financial and operational expertise as the company advances its strategy to lead the AI-powered labor market. The changes come as part of a planned transition, with two directors completing their terms, aiming to strengthen governance amid Upwork's growth and transformation initiatives.

Upwork Announces Board Refreshment, Strengthening Financial and Operational Expertise for Its Next Chapter
UPWK

Key Points

  • Upwork appointed Claire Bramley, CFO of Xero, and David Lissy, former CEO of Bright Horizons, to its Board of Directors.
  • Both new members join the Audit, Risk, and Compliance Committee, supporting Upwork's governance and strategic oversight.
  • The board refresh is aimed at guiding Upwork's evolution towards scaling its AI-enabled workforce marketplace and driving future growth.
  • Sectors impacted include technology, human resources, and AI-driven labor markets, influencing the gig economy and workforce management solutions.

PALO ALTO, Calif., June 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Upwork Inc. (Nasdaq: UPWK), the world's work marketplace, today announced changes to its Board of Directors to support its continued evolution and long-term strategy to power the AI-enabled labor market of the future.

Following Upwork's Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on June 4, 2026, two new directors, Claire Bramley and David Lissy, have officially joined the company's Board. Both will serve as members of the Audit, Risk, and Compliance Committee.

As part of a planned transition, Anilu Vazquez-Ubarri and Leela Srinivasan concluded their service on the Board after five and six years of service, respectively.

Claire Bramley brings more than 20 years of senior finance leadership across global public technology companies. She currently serves as chief financial officer of Xero, a global small business platform and trusted financial operating system for the Al era, and previously served as chief financial officer of Teradata. Earlier in her career, she held senior finance roles at HP. An Associate of The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, Bramley offers deep expertise in financial strategy, risk management, compliance, and large-scale transformation.

David Lissy brings extensive experience leading and scaling global organizations through significant growth and change. He has spent nearly two decades as chief executive officer and later executive chairman of Bright Horizons which he led through its initial public offering, multiple transformational transactions, and periods of business disruption and evolving customer needs.

"Claire and David join Upwork at a moment of real opportunity, as we build the company for the AI-enabled future of work," said Thomas Layton, chair of the Board. "Claire knows what it takes to steward a public company through transformation; David has built and scaled one through it. Their judgment will be a tremendous asset as we pursue our next chapter of growth. On behalf of the Board, I also want to thank Anilu and Leela for the contributions that helped shape the company Upwork is today."

"I'm thrilled to welcome Claire and David to our Board as we reinvent work for the age of AI," said Hayden Brown, president and CEO of Upwork Inc. "Claire is a sitting public-company CFO who has helped lead some of the most respected names in technology through real change. This will be valuable experience as we scale. David pairs the instincts of a high-scale public company operator with the judgment of a seasoned board chair. I look forward to partnering with him as we write Upwork's next chapter. I also want to thank Anilu and Leela. Each of them has offered immeasurable counsel, for which I am deeply grateful."

About Upwork
Upwork Inc.’s (Nasdaq: UPWK) family of companies connects businesses with global, AI-enabled talent across every contingent worker classification. This portfolio includes the Upwork Marketplace, which connects businesses with on-demand access to highly skilled talent across the globe, and Lifted, which provides a purpose-built solution for enterprise organizations to source, contract, manage, and pay talent across the full spectrum of contingent work. From Fortune 100 enterprises to entrepreneurs, businesses rely on Upwork Inc. to find and hire expert talent, leverage AI-powered work solutions, and drive business transformation. With access to professionals spanning more than 10,000 skills across AI & machine learning, software development, sales & marketing, customer support, finance & accounting, and more, the Upwork family of companies enables businesses of all sizes to scale, innovate, and transform their workforces for the age of AI and beyond.

Since its founding, Upwork Inc. has facilitated more than $30 billion in total transactions and services as it fulfills its purpose to create opportunity in every era of work. Learn more about the Upwork Marketplace at upwork.com and follow on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X; learn more about Lifted at go-lifted.com and follow on LinkedIn.

Contact:
Elisabeth Hutchinson
[email protected]


Risks

  • Integration and collaboration challenges with new board members during a critical transformation phase.
  • Execution risk associated with Upwork's AI-enabled growth strategy in a competitive and rapidly evolving market.
  • Potential market uncertainties tied to regulatory changes or disruptions in the gig economy sector affecting business model sustainability.

More from Press Releases

Teva Presents New Data on AUSTEDO® (deutetrabenazine) tablets and AUSTEDO XR® (deutetrabenazine) extended-release tablets that Show Patient- and Caregiver-Reported Improvements in Huntington's Disease Chorea Jun 5, 2026 Nyxoah Announces Pricing of $95 Million Underwritten Public Offering Jun 5, 2026 Alpha Compute Corp. (NASDAQ: ALP): $79.2M in Assets, $23M Projected Annual Revenue, GAMEE Acquisition Complete, and “Own Your Data” Campaign Launches Nationally Jun 5, 2026 Genco Shipping & Trading Limited Highlights Recommendations from Leading Independent Proxy Advisory Firms Glass Lewis and Egan-Jones that Shareholders Vote “FOR” ALL of Genco’s Director Nominees Jun 5, 2026 SurgePays Signs Master Services Agreement with BrandRap to Build Artificial Intelligence (AI) Decisioning Engine to Drive Higher Revenue Per Subscriber Jun 5, 2026