Ross's appointment is part of a broader top management overhaul being undertaken by Chairman Marcelo Claure, months after SoftBank Group Corp took majority control of the startup, following its botched public debut.

Last month, WeWork appointed former Ernst & Young executive, Shyam Gidumal, as its new chief operating officer in the first major executive appointment under Mathrani.

The appointment of Ross, currently a board member at Swiss food giant Nestle SA, will be effective on March 16.

(Reporting by C Nivedita in Bengaluru; Editing by Amy Caren Daniel)