Former CTO of Macmillan and Yonder to Lead Global Technology Strategy, Accelerate Growth
Cengage Group, a global education technology company serving millions of learners each year, has appointed Chelsea Valentine as Chief Technology Officer (CTO). With more than 20 years in education and technology, Valentine is well-positioned to accelerate Cengage Group’s growth trajectory through technology, and to ensure the company continues to be a disruptor in the education industry.
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“I am excited to join Cengage Group at this transformative time in the education industry. The needs and demands of learners are rapidly changing, and Cengage Group is at the forefront of meeting those needs,” said Chelsea Valentine, CTO, Cengage Group. “I joined Cengage Group for many reasons, one of which is the company’s portfolio of businesses that support learners at every stage of their journey to become job-ready – whether through a two- or four-year degree, or a non-traditional path focused on reskilling or upskilling. I’m here because of Cengage Group’s dedication to helping learners of all ages, skills, backgrounds and experiences pursue an education to achieve their dreams.”
As CTO, Valentine joins the Cengage Group Executive Team. She will lead the company’s global technology strategy and, working in close partnership with the company’s technology leadership team and business leaders, determine Cengage Group’s technology priorities to best serve the needs of the company’s diverse learners.
Valentine brings deep experience in technology, learning and education. Her passion is cultivating transparent, collaborative and accountable organizations. Valentine hails from Yonder, an innovative AI startup battling misinformation online. As Yonder’s CTO, she oversaw the consolidation of their technology and product organizations. Before Yonder, she held a series of leadership positions during her seven-year tenure at Macmillan Learning, eventually becoming Macmillan Learning’s first CTO. There, Valentine launched Achieve, Macmillan Learning’s unified flagship product to enable the best possible student outcomes across multiple educational disciplines. She transformed Macmillan’s approach to analytics, instructor-led intervention and personalized learning. She also guided Macmillan’s many acquisitions and was the architect of the company’s unified product strategy. Valentine also held product and technology leadership roles with Sapling Learning (acquired by Macmillan) and LibreDigital.
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“I am incredibly proud of what our technology organization at Cengage Group has accomplished during the past 10 years,” said Michael E. Hansen, CEO, Cengage Group. “Our transformation from a print publisher to a leading global education technology company serving millions of learners would not have been possible without the creative thinking, innovative spirit and stable force provided by this group.”
Hansen continued to say, “As we enter the next phase of our growth, I am confident Chelsea is the right leader to take the helm and help the business continue to scale so that we can impact even more lives through the transformative power of education. We are thrilled to have her join our leadership team.”
Cengage Group has continued to leverage technology to improve the lives of learners since launching MindTap more than a decade ago. In 2017, the company launched Cengage Unlimited, the first-of-its-kind subscription service for students. Driven by the shift to remote learning resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, Cengage Group’s digital net sales increased 6% last fiscal year, with digital sales comprising 73% of total net sales at the end of FY21. Additionally, to date, Cengage Unlimited has helped nearly four million students save more than $420 million on textbooks and course materials costs.
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