Experience in Education Innovation

Matt Hillman

Co-President of Wiley Education Services and Learning House, A Wiley Brand

“What I love most about being a member of this team is that all colleagues are owners—of a marketing campaign, of helping a student get answers, or helping a faculty member design a course.”

Matt Hillman is Co-President of the combined business units of Wiley Education Services and Learning House, a Wiley brand. Matt has passionately spent his 20+ year career in higher education helping working adult students achieve their goals. He is a company veteran with a broad understanding of the business. Starting as a program manager at Deltak in 2003, Matt moved up the ranks in client management and when Deltak became Wiley Education Services in 2012, Matt held various senior leadership roles, including Vice President of National Operations. Most recently, he served as President of Wiley Education Services prior to Wiley’s acquisition of Learning House in November 2018.

Matt credits communication as a key to his growth—especially listening, which he says, “has enabled me to help colleagues and partners solve challenges faster and explore opportunities in a manner that helps promote growth and innovation.” Perhaps that’s why he most appreciates Wiley’s core value of “Think and Operate Like an Owner,” which he believes promotes “an ethos of accountability that enables honest and open dialogue.”

Previously, Matt served in enrollment services positions at Sylvan Learning Systems’ Online Higher Education Division (now Laureate Education, Inc.) and UMUC OnLine, Inc., a startup company at the University of Maryland University College. Prior to that, he was Assistant Director of Student Activities for two years at Franklin & Marshall College. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and political science from Albright College.

Todd Zipper

Co-President of Wiley Education Services and Learning House, A Wiley Brand

“Our job is to help create and enable a better higher education ecosystem where degrees and educational pathways are accessible, affordable, and focus on the employability and success of our students.”

For more than two decades, Todd has been motivated to become the best version of himself and empowers others to do the same. His personal drive and penchant for lifelong learning led him to a career in education while also motivating him to grow an organizational culture based on highly motivated individuals.

Now Co-President of Wiley Education Services and Learning House, a Wiley brand, Todd’s focus is on expanding opportunities to help bridge gaps and grow additional business units including coding bootcamps, international student recruitment, and K–12 continuing education. Through these efforts, he leads the newly combined organization as a mission-driven business that allows all parties—employees, shareholders, universities, students, and society – to all reach their potential.

Prior to joining Learning House, Todd served as managing director of marketing and media services at Weld North, where he pursued investments in the marketing, media, and education sectors. Prior to Weld North, Todd co-founded and served as COO of Education Connection, and previously worked for Kaplan, Inc.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Business Administration from Columbia University, and earned a chartered financial analyst (CFA) designation.

Julie Delich

Vice President of Retention and Student Support Services

“Our core values represent who we are and are critical to informing the way we interact with our partners and our students.”

As Vice President of Retention and Student Support Services, Julie is driven to find new opportunities and new ways to increase the positive impact we have on our students. Impacting students has been a longtime passion for Julie as she previously managed the enrollment and retention processes for college and university clients with Learning House, a Wiley brand. Her team worked with potential students from the moment they expressed interest in a school until they graduated.

Before joining Learning House, Julie was Director of Enrollment at the University of Phoenix, and she served as an adjunct professor for 10 years, with experience in face-to-face and online modalities at Harrisburg Area Community College in Pennsylvania and the University of Phoenix. Prior to her involvement in higher education, Julie was an outpatient mental health therapist specializing in treating anxiety disorders and women’s health issues, including postpartum depression and PTSD from abusive experiences.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and a Master of Science in clinical psychology from Millersville University. She is pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership from Concordia University, St Paul. Julie lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with her husband, two sons, and her dog, Ace.

Jay Hatcher

Vice President of Business Development

“Our values govern our approach to partnership. We take great pride in collaborating to positively change lives, while maintaining respect for each individual’s goals.”

As Vice President of Business Development, Jay leads the team responsible for joining forces with higher education institutions to build long-term strategic partnerships. His goal is to ensure institutions are more effectively attracting, recruiting, engaging, and retaining students while preserving the academic quality and rigor at an institution.

Beyond his expertise in the education market, Jay has years of experience in the legal profession, where he developed skills that are vital when collaborating with numerous decision-makers at the institution and our organization to come to a consensus. Jay believes collaboration is the biggest value Wiley Education Services brings to our partners, especially as thought leaders within our partnerships as it allows the full team to quickly adapt to innovations in our highly dynamic industry.

Jay earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Mississippi and a Juris Doctor from the University of Kentucky College of Law.

Blaine Johnson

Vice President of Enrollment

“Enhancements in technology and the evolving student landscape require constant change.”

Over the past decade, Blaine Johnson has overseen the evolution of the organization’s OPM student recruitment. With the goal of providing the best student experience possible, his focus is on developing his team through coaching, implementing technological enhancements such as linguistic and behavioral analytics, and streamlining the student journey through the creation of resources such as a dedicated contact center. Under his leadership, the recruitment team has grown enrollments to more than 20,000 students across partner institutions.

Blaine cites Wiley’s 210-year history as one of the things that makes him most proud to work at the organization. But as much as we gain support from the past, he notes that an important part of his job is looking forward. “Enhancements in technology and the evolving student landscape requires constant change,” he says. “During my time with Wiley I’ve developed in my ability to lead people efficiently through times of transformation.”

Before coming to Wiley, Blaine was Vice President of Sales for information security consulting firm CastleGarde, Inc. and Director of Field Operations of The Beacon Institute, a company that specialized in delivering non-credit curriculum through a network of university partners. He earned a Bachelor of Science in journalism with a minor in business from Troy State University.

Krysia Lazarewicz

Vice President of New Ventures and General Manager of Advancement Courses, A Wiley Brand

“Our job is to improve access to high quality, affordable education. Students need transformative educators, and we have the privilege of supporting those educators in turn.”

As the daughter of immigrants, Krysia Lazarewicz learned about the value of a high quality education early in life. She decided to pursue a career in education to promote and expand education access to all learners. To Krysia, Wiley’s core values resonate because they “highlight our focus on the learner, our focus on our employees, and our belief that the work we do is of utmost importance to society.”

Prior to working in higher education, Krysia taught middle school math and science in many different settings. She moved into content development for higher education purposes at Pearson, working on the Mastering X platform, before moving to Learning House, a Wiley brand, where she supported higher education faculty in developing and delivering high quality online programs. Today, she wraps those experiences together as General Manager of Advancement Courses, where she partners with universities to deliver practical and relevant graduate level professional development for K–12 educators.

In her work with Advancement Courses, she says, “We are uniquely situated in our market because teachers choose us. Nothing is more rewarding than hearing about the lessons that educators create as a result of our courses, the students that educators are better able to support because of what they learned through our program, or the renewed passion we helped our teachers find in their profession.”

Krysia earned a Bachelor of Arts in biology and women’s studies from Bowdoin College and a Master of Education from Lesley University and the Shady Hill School Teacher Training Course.

Celeste Martinell

Vice President of Strategy & Market Development

“Nothing is more satisfying than seeing our partners succeed in ways they didn’t imagine.”

Celeste Martinell is the Vice President of Strategy & Market Development and is based out of Wiley’s Oak Brook, Illinois office. She is focused on the future growth of Wiley Education Services, leading mergers and acquisitions, and organic growth to support Wiley’s plans for transformation and impact. Having joined Wiley in 2009 in client management, she has helped build a world-class operations team focused on serving partners and students.

Celeste most appreciates Wiley’s focus on nurturing a learning culture that changes lives, noting that focusing on collaboration and communication results in a fulfilling journey. “We are helping to usher in an enormous amount of change, often in a short amount of time, and to be successful as partners we have to be willing to learn from one another and respect one another’s views, perspectives, and experience.”

Prior to joining Wiley, Celeste spent 10 years in management consulting and advisory services with Accenture and RCBG leading telecom, media, and technology companies through growth and transformation in the face of market disruption.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in business economics from Ohio University.

Rachel McGalliard

Vice President and General Manager of The Software Guild, A Wiley Brand

“I enjoy collaborating with my colleagues to solve problems regarding skills gaps in the workforce. It’s such a big problem with so many ways to approach delivering new skills to people.”

As Vice President and General Manager of The Software Guild, a Wiley brand (TSG), Rachel drives strategic initiatives to expand the footprint of immersive training curriculums not only for students, but also within corporate training settings and through university partnerships. As one of her greatest accomplishments with the unit, she led the initiative to create standards within the coding bootcamp space by helping TSG become an inaugural member of the Council on Integrity in Results Reporting (CIRR).

Rachel credits her passion for her work with the core value of “a learning culture that changes and builds lives.” Rachel says, “I have the privilege of seeing our incredible instructors share their knowledge with apprentices day after day. In a very short time, those apprentices are on new career pathways with increased earning potential and have changed the course of their lives.”

As one of the first employees of Learning House in 2009, Rachel moved up through the ranks of account management, where she had the opportunity to work on a special project around immersive coding programs with The Software Guild. Rachel previously served as Director of Client Management at Learning House and then Vice President of Operations at The Software Guild after its acquisition by Learning House.

She has a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in psychological and brain sciences from the University of Louisville.

David Migliorese

Vice President of Academic Services

“To do our best, continuous learning and adaptation are required.”

David Migliorese is the Vice President of Academic Services and is based out of the organization’s Orlando office. His custom course development group works with faculty to create high-impact, technology-enabled learning experiences for an array of degree programs.

David began his career in user experience, then spent eight years working with faculty and leading teams in the design and development of socio-constructivist online learning experiences. Since joining the organization in 2009, David has built a team of world-class learning designers, media specialists, and faculty support professionals who share his passion for student‐centered, high-engagement learning. They have developed and manage a catalog of more than 2,000 distinctive online courses and are currently leading innovations in story driven learning, case method teaching, and faculty communities of practice.

David earned a bachelor’s degree in comparative literature from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, and a master’s in humanities from the University of Chicago.

Suren Naidoo

Vice President and General Manager of International Education Services

“We are committed to positively impacting the lives of our students and partners no matter where they live or study. We want to open access to all learners, whether through opportunities to travel abroad or leveraging access to all the amazing technology that is constantly being developed.”

As a first-generation college graduate, Suren is honored to have the opportunity to pursue his personal and professional passion of transforming the lives of young people around the world through education. His team works with our international education partners to bring diverse on-ground and online opportunities to address the dreams and needs of learners around the globe and equip them for success.

Suren has helped more than 5,000 international students attend higher education institutions in the U.S. and the U.K. Prior to his role at Wiley Education Services, he was the CEO of Education for Advancement, founder and COO of the Forbes School of Business & Technology, and founding CEO of United States University. Suren has served 13 years as a board member of regionally accredited U.S. universities. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President of Learning House International.

Suren has more than 20 years of executive experience in finance, entrepreneurship, strategy, execution and regulatory, intellectual property, and operations management in higher education, media, and telecommunications.

Suren earned a Bachelor of Science in engineering from the University of Cape Town and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.

Jeff Stark

Vice President of Research and Analytics

“As we move to a knowledge-based economy, we provide multiple ways for people to gain and access knowledge and skills that will provide them better opportunities for success.”

As the Vice President of Research and Analytics, Jeff Stark oversees the development and management of our research and analytics practice. His team utilizes advanced analytical capabilities to conduct market research, develop actionable insights about target audiences for our partners, and informs critical business decisions. Jeff most resonates with the core value of Think and Operate Like an Owner. He feels that this value helps his team “keep the bigger picture in mind and take a long view as to what we do on a day-to-day basis.”

Prior to his current role, Jeff served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Learning House, a Wiley brand. With more than 20 years of experience in strategic and operational planning, reporting, forecasting, and accounting, he believes, “It isn’t just about what you do, but how well you do it, and how you interact with others in the company.” Fostering teamwork and “a sense that we are all headed in the same direction” is paramount to success.

He has deep global experience in multiple industries and in the past focused on media, education, and software. His experiences have led him to work for companies that ranged from start-ups to new businesses within multi-national corporations, big four accounting firms, and the military.

Jeff earned a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Purdue University and an MBA in finance from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Catie Starr

Vice President of Marketing

“I have been consistently impressed with how important our core values are to the organization and how much they mean to the people who work here.”

Before joining Wiley in 2016, Catie Starr spent most of her career at large financial services companies including Discover, Charles Schwab, General Electric, and Bank of America. Moving to the higher education field was a big change, and a welcome one, she says. “Working for a company that is so closely focused on improving people’s lives was a breath of fresh air. I was excited to find an opportunity to apply the skills and strategies I learned in financial services to the field of education.” Her desire to help others is reflected in the company’s commitment to its core values every single day. “Starting with my first interview here, I have been consistently impressed with how important our core values are to the organization and how much they mean to the people who work here,” she says. “When we say we’re a learning culture, we live it.”

In her current role, she leads a team of experts in marketing and brand strategy, digital media and analytics, user experience testing and digital experience, and content strategy. Together they are responsible for building the Wiley Education Services brands and representing our university partners’ brands and creating marketing strategies to attract and reach new students.

Catie earned a Bachelor of Arts in communication from Bradley University and an MBA from San Diego State University.

Jeremy Walsh

Vice President of Enterprise Learning Solutions

“Wiley Education Services plays a transformative role in helping employers and educators link arms to drive positive outcomes in our society.”

As Vice President of Enterprise Learning Solutions for Wiley, Jeremy’s driving passion is helping companies position themselves with the emerging skills and agile workforce needed to be considered future-ready. His team is responsible for providing talent and training solutions that enable employers to excel in their market and leave the impact they desire. He believes, “We are fortunate to have a great culture and strong core values at Wiley. Our values are not just words on a wall, but deeply ingrained into the core of who we are as an organization.”

To this end, Jeremy is driven to cultivate leaders and build world-class organizations to make positive impacts in the diverse markets they serve. As a dynamic leader, business developer, small business owner, entrepreneur, and business consultant, he has a unique perspective on the convergence that’s happening between enterprise organizations and educators.

Prior to joining Wiley, Jeremy spent a decade overseeing business development initiatives for organizations such as Apollo Education Group, Kaplan Inc., and Mount Washington College. He sits on several advisory boards including the marketing advisory board for LinkedIn as well as a local leadership development organization called Leadership Broward.

Jeremy earned a Bachelor of Science in business from Missouri Southern State University. He currently lives in South Florida with his wife, Giselle, and their two children, Ava and Deklan.

Katie Zapata

Vice President of Client Management

“We have an incredibly talented, smart, and solution-oriented team, which is why we have been able to provide world-class service and results to our partners for so many years.”

Katie Zapata calls herself “an entrepreneur at heart” which is why she has loved working at Wiley Education Services since 2004. “We have an incredibly talented, smart, and solution-oriented team, which is why we have been able to provide world-class service and results to our partners for so many years.”

Katie has engaged in her own professional growth during her time at Wiley, starting out as a new manager and having the opportunity to lead in various team settings, including Partner Operations and Client Management, as well as Human Capital. Today, she leads the client management team for all U.S. partners and has been involved with internal communication and culture. “I have loved influencing the cultural aspects of our business, including our core values and our intense focus on people development,” she says.

Katie began her career as an elementary school teacher and started in online education as an instructional designer at UNext (later the Cardean Learning Group). She also founded Thinkeractive, a small consulting firm that developed e-learning solutions for business and schools.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in education and psychology from DePauw University and a master’s in learning sciences from Northwestern University.