ECMC Group Appoints Jeremy J. Wheaton as New President and CEO
August 31, 2017
MINNEAPOLIS, August 31, 2017 — ECMC Group today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Jeremy J. Wheaton as president and chief executive officer (CEO) effective Aug. 31, 2017. Wheaton also was elected to the Board of Directors of ECMC Group, ECMC Foundation and Zenith Education Group, effective Aug. 31, 2017.
"We believe that with his combination of professional experience and personal skills, Jeremy is the perfect leader to become ECMC Group's new chief executive officer," said ECMC Group Chairman John DePodesta. "His proven abilities to excel in dynamic and complex environments, create and execute strategic initiatives, and accelerate the pace of positive change are invaluable and an excellent match for the rapid changes underway in the education and student finance sectors. In Jeremy, the Board has selected a very strong and experienced leader at a time when ECMC Group has dedicated substantial resources to pursue innovative opportunities to execute on our charitable mission of helping students succeed."
Wheaton joins ECMC Group from Triumph Higher Education Group/Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, where he served most recently as president and CEO. In that role, Wheaton and his executive team set the strategic direction to recognize Escoffier Schools' vision of becoming the world's premier culinary and hospitality education provider, worked with the U.S. Department of Education to secure Title IV funding for Escoffier's innovative online program, and presided over industry-leading student and employee satisfaction and loyalty scores. Previously, Wheaton served as chief operations officer at Meritas, an international organization comprising 10 college preparatory schools in the U.S., China, Switzerland and Mexico, with more than 2,000 employees educating more than 11,000 students annually. Wheaton also held executive positions at Colorado Technical University, Pearson Embanet and Career Education Corporation, where he focused on building superior teams to develop and deliver innovative offerings and exemplary student services and outcomes.
"I am excited to join ECMC Group, where I believe the possibilities are limitless," said Wheaton. "ECMC Group's deep and longstanding commitment to student success, student outcomes and financial literacy is inspiring, and I am humbled and exhilarated by this opportunity to lead ECMC Group into its next chapter."
"Jeremy is clearly the person to lead ECMC Group into the future, and he has the unanimous support of the Board of Directors," said DePodesta. "With Jeremy joining our deep and experienced management team, the Board is very confident that ECMC Group has the leadership to drive its success going forward."
ECMC Group is a nonprofit corporation with a mission to help students succeed. All companies in the ECMC Group family work together to fulfill this mission. ECMC Group and its affiliates invest heavily in programs promoting financial literacy, college access and college completion. ECMC Foundation, an ECMC Group affiliate, invests in improvements that affect educational outcomes—especially among underserved populations—through evidence-based innovation. ECMC Group affiliate Zenith Education Group is one of the largest nonprofit career education providers in the U.S., dedicated to promoting the long-term success of its students and graduates measured by program completion and job placement rates. Zenith schools operate under the Altierus and WyoTech names. Educational Credit Management Corporation (ECMC) is a nonprofit ECMC Group affiliate that provides support for the administration of the Federal Family Education Loan Program as a student loan guaranty agency. For more information, go to www.ecmcgroup.org.