Jack is the Executive Chairman of Triumph Higher Education Group. He has over 30 years of experience in the private, for-profit higher education and is the founder of Career Education Corporation (NASDAQ: CECO), one of the world’s largest higher education organizations with more than 80,000 students. Jack served as the Company’s President, Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors from its founding in 1994 until 2006. He also served as the Chairman of the Board from 2000 until 2006.
Under his leadership, Career Education acquired renowned brands including Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America and pioneered its unique virtual campus used in several highly successful, fully online platforms.
Jack is Chairman of the Board of Asian Education Investment, Ltd., and he is an investor in and serves on the board of education companies based in China and the United States. He sponsors the Larson Scholarships at the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley.
In the year 2000, Mr. Larson was one of Ernst & Young’s “Entrepreneurs of the Year”. In 2006, he was selected as one of the first inductees to the University of California at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business “Haas Hall of Fame.”
Mr. Ryan began his professional career in the hospitality and lodging business after serving in the U.S. Army and receiving his degree in Hospitality and Restaurant Management.
With twenty-eight successful (1972-2000) years in the industry he held various, single unit, regional, and corporate management leadership positions with such companies as Harley Hotels, Marriott Hotels and Resorts, Promus Hotels (now part of Hilton Hotels), then the parent of Red lion Hotels, Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inns and Homewood Suites.
In 2000, Paul joined Career Education Corporation as President of the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. Shortly thereafter he served as Vice President and Managing Director of the world-renowned Le Cordon Bleu Schools in North America. As the company grew, he became Senior Vice President of Operations for all of the company’s colleges, and schools.
Later, as Group President of all of the company’s Health, Culinary, and Art and Design schools he oversaw and was responsible for the strategic and operational successes of approximately 35 of the companies 80 plus campuses with revenue of over $700 million of the company’s $2 billion in revenue. As part of an exceptional senior executive corporate leadership team that helped build Career Education into the nation’s second largest for profit education company until May of 2008. Paul then joined Jack Larson in starting Triumph Higher Education Group where he serves as President of the company.
Mr. Saiz has over 20 years of financial and accounting experience. Bob joined Career Education in 1997 where he held a number of positions in financial and operational roles. As CFO of the University Group he led the financial team responsible for 3 operating divisions with combined revenues of $1 billion. Prior to that role Bob served as Vice President of Acquisitions and Development where he evaluated and sourced acquisition opportunities. He also served as President of McIntosh College and the Atlantic Culinary Academy. Bob is a Certified Public Accountant and a graduate of the University of Montana.
Ms. Shore brings 25 years of higher education experience focusing 20 of those years on student Financial Services. She has served in leadership roles at the university, community college and proprietary school levels. Her commitment to education includes all factors of student services. Jeannie has a Master’s Degree in Student Services from Northeastern State University.
Chef Dowling is a professional chef and culinary educator and has accumulated 40 years of experience in the foodservice industry and in post-secondary culinary education. He has led culinary teams for Marriott, Amfac and Movenpick Hotels, in California, New York and Europe. He owned an export trading company in the late 1980's that conducted international trade with companies in Japan, Taiwan and West Malaysia. Chef Dowling holds an MBA in Marketing from Everest University, a B.S. in Hospitality Management from the University of New Haven, and an A.S. from the Culinary Institute of America. He was certified by the American Culinary Federation as an executive chef and culinary educator.
Mr. Sherrill brings 10 years of technology experience in higher education to Triumph Higher Education Group.
As the Vice President of Technology Services, Brian is responsible for managing the development of web applications, online course content creation, marketing websites, as well as overseeing the internal IT infrastructure at both our corporate and school level. Prior to joining Triumph Higher Education Group, Brian served in several leadership positions within education technology including overseeing the execution and strategy of all brand websites within the Career Education Corporation portfolio (90+ campuses), developed several brand-related online social communities, and lead a team of multimedia developers within the online course development department. Previously, Mr. Sherrill worked in corporate training for AmSouth (formerly First American National Bank) where he developed intranet-based training for banking applications.