Carnegie named Todd Zipper as its new chief executive officer on September 17, 2026, tapping an education technology veteran with direct experience building AI-driven learning platforms. The appointment signals that artificial intelligence will anchor the company's next growth phase as it expands beyond point solutions into a broader strategic role for nearly 1,000 college and university clients.
Zipper takes the CEO role effective September 28, succeeding Gary Colen, who led the company for four years. Colen will shift to Carnegie's board of directors and continue advising on strategy. The search, conducted with Shamrock Capital, evaluated more than 100 candidates before selecting Zipper.
A career built at the intersection of education and technology
Zipper brings more than two decades of experience spanning online learning and artificial intelligence. Most recently, he served as CEO of Axio, an AI-driven learning innovation platform, where he led the company's shift toward agentic AI applications designed specifically for higher education. That work placed him directly inside a technology area Carnegie views as central to its next chapter.
Before Axio, Zipper was president and CEO of The Learning House, an education services company focused on online learning. Revenue grew nearly tenfold under his leadership. He later integrated that business into Wiley Education Services as executive vice president and general manager, where EBITDA increased fivefold over three years, according to Carnegie.
Carnegie's platform shift
The leadership change arrives as Carnegie evolves from a provider of individual higher education solutions into a strategic partner working across enrollment, marketing, and other institutional priorities. Over the past five years, the company has scaled to serve nearly 1,000 institutions.
"Carnegie has become an incredible growing entity over the last five years, evolving from a critical point solution partner into a strategic guide for institutions across their entire cabinet," Colen said.
Colleges and universities are now evaluating AI not only for instruction but for administrative processes, student engagement, and marketing workflows. Carnegie's model combines institutional strategy with data, technology, and specialized expertise, positioning the company to work across multiple parts of that decision-making environment. For professionals tracking how AI reshapes organizational strategy, the AI for Executives & Strategy implications extend well beyond this single appointment.
AI as a growth driver, not a feature
Zipper described the moment in stark terms. "Higher education is in a defining moment," he said. "AI is reshaping how learning happens, institutions are navigating more complexity than ever, and the organizations that will define the next decade of this category are the ones investing in the right leadership and the right technology now."
His appointment indicates that AI development will function as a core component of Carnegie's growth strategy rather than a standalone add-on. Zipper's experience at Axio provides a foundation in emerging AI applications, while his previous roles bring commercial scaling expertise. The company enters this phase with an established footprint and a mandate to determine how technologies like AI for Education can deepen institutional relationships.
Why this matters for executives and strategy
Carnegie's CEO selection is a case study in how mature service companies are embedding AI leadership at the top rather than relegating it to a product division or innovation lab. For executives outside education, the signal is clear: organizations that treat AI as a strategic function led from the C-suite are positioning for platform-level growth, not incremental feature additions. Zipper's dual background in scaling education businesses and building agentic AI applications reflects a hiring calculus that prioritizes both commercial discipline and technical fluency - a combination boards across sectors are likely to replicate.
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