We helped Coursera establish their EMEA presence by building diverse, mission-aligned teams across five key business functions, enabling their successful European market entry.
Coursera
Pioneering EdTech Growth
Coursera, a Silicon Valley-based edtech unicorn, partnered with Propel to establish their EMEA presence as part of their five-year growth strategy. Their expansion required building localised client-facing teams in London across enterprise sales, customer success, and partnerships, demanding candidates with a unique blend of education sector knowledge and B2B technology expertise.
The Challenge
Coursera needed to find candidates with a rare combination of education sector experience and proven B2B technology success. As a mission-driven organisation, they also required professionals who genuinely connected with their values. The challenge extended beyond traditional recruitment to understanding the complex edtech ecosystem and its interconnections with various technologies and partners.
The Solution
We conducted comprehensive market mapping of the education technology sector, analysing competitor landscapes, technology integrations, and complementary solutions. Our approach focused on understanding not just individual roles but how they connected within the broader ecosystem. We identified candidates who demonstrated both technical capability and authentic alignment with Coursera's altruistic mission, ensuring cultural fit alongside professional expertise.
The Results
We successfully placed seven key professionals across five different teams, spanning Coursera for Campus, Enterprise SaaS sales, University Customer Success, and Partnerships roles. Our deep understanding of the edtech sector and ability to deliver against challenging requirements has made us a trusted advisor, even after the establishment of their internal recruitment function. These placements have been instrumental in Coursera's successful EMEA growth trajectory, leading to continued partnership and recommendations across their organisation.