---
schema_version: "secwatch.filing_event.v1"
accession: "0001627475-23-000022"
form_type: "8-K"
ticker: "UPWK"
cik: "0001627475"
company_name: "UPWORK, INC"
filed_at: "2023-03-28T23:59:59+00:00"
generated_at: "2026-06-17T12:53:01.579526+00:00"
event_type: "leadership"
sentiment: "positive"
materiality_score: 0.65
calibrated_materiality_score: 0.65
confidence: "high"
source: SEC EDGAR
---

# Upwork appoints Erica Gessert as CFO, effective April 25, 2023

## Summary
- Erica Gessert joins from PayPal, where she served as Chief Transformation Officer and SVP of Finance & Analytics.
- Gessert receives initial base salary of $550,000, target annual bonus of 80% of base salary.
- Restricted stock unit award valued at $9,000,000, vesting over 4 years (25% on May 18, 2024, then quarterly).
- Severance: 12 months base salary and medical benefits; change-in-control triggers pro-rata bonus and 100% equity acceleration.
- Gessert, 48, brings extensive public company finance and investor relations experience from PayPal and Sprint.

## SEC filing metadata
- accession: 0001627475-23-000022
- form_type: 8-K
- ticker: UPWK
- cik: 0001627475
- company_name: UPWORK, INC
- filed_at: 2023-03-28T23:59:59+00:00
- event_type: leadership
- sentiment: positive
- materiality_score: 0.65
- calibrated_materiality_score: 0.65
- confidence: high
- sec_items: 5.02, 7.01, 9.01
- EDGAR index: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627475/000162747523000022/0001627475-23-000022-index.htm
- EDGAR primary document: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627475/000162747523000022/upwork-20230328.htm

## Machine-readable alternates
- HTML: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001627475-23-000022
- JSON: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001627475-23-000022.json
- Plain text: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001627475-23-000022.txt

## Key facts
- Executive change
  Erica Gessert was appointed as Chief Financial Officer at UPWORK, INC.
  - Action: appointed
  - Role: Chief Financial Officer
  source text: On March 22, 2023, Upwork Inc.’s (the “Company”) board of directors appointed Erica Gessert to become the Company’s Chief Financial Officer effective upon her first day of employment with the Company, which is expected to be April 25, 2023.
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627475/000162747523000022/0001627475-23-000022-index.htm

This AI-assisted summary is a reading aid. Review the linked SEC EDGAR filing before relying on any specific claim.