MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Coursera is excited to announce Jeff Maggioncalda as its new CEO. Jeff joins Coursera after a brief sabbatical following an 18-year tenure as founding CEO and President of Financial Engines (NASDAQ: FNGN). Rick Levin will remain at Coursera as a Senior Advisor.
“The Coursera board and management team ran a comprehensive executive search, and Jeff emerged as our unanimous choice. He brings terrific energy and experience leading high-growth companies with a user-first strategy,” says Scott Sandell, Managing General Partner at NEA and a Coursera Board member. “The board is deeply appreciative of Rick’s contribution over the last three years. He has laid a strong foundation for long-term growth, expanded Coursera’s products from courses and Specializations to fully accredited online master’s degrees, and successfully launched offerings for both enterprise and government.”
Co-founders and board co-chairs Daphne Koller and Andrew Ng expressed enthusiasm for Maggioncalda’s appointment. Ng said: "Jeff is a mission-oriented leader, and will bring education to vastly larger numbers of people. Lifelong learning is no longer optional, and Coursera will keep growing to meet this societal need." Koller added: "Jeff is an experienced executive who has a lifelong passion for learning. We are excited about him joining the Coursera team, and helping us continue toward our vision of allowing learners everywhere to transform their lives via access to the world's best education."
“Coursera is a special company with a vital purpose,” says Maggioncalda. “It has become a platform that millions around the world rely on to acquire new skills and knowledge they need to thrive in a world of accelerating change. I’m honored to join this mission and look forward to working with the team and our University partners to make Coursera the most trusted place people go for high-quality, lifelong learning.”
“When I accepted the position of CEO in the spring of 2014, the board and I agreed that my task was to help transform a brilliant and inspiring idea into a thriving company that could then be handed off to someone who would lead it for many years to come,” says Levin, former President of Yale who came out of retirement to join Coursera. “I found these three years to be extremely fulfilling - we’ve grown from 7 to 26 million registered users, from 150 to more than 2,000 active courses, and from 65 to nearly 300 employees. In Jeff, Coursera will have an outstanding leader, who has not only a deep appreciation for our mission, but also the experience to lead the company through years of growth.”
Jeff started his career with Cornerstone Research before heading to Stanford for his MBA. Upon graduating in 1996, he became the founding CEO of Financial Engines, a company co-founded by Economics Nobel Prize winner Bill Sharpe. Jeff took Financial Engines public in 2010 and led the company to become the largest independent investment advisor in the country. After 18 years as CEO of Financial Engines, he took time off to travel, learn, and spend time with his family. He studied music theory and piano, advised SafeSpace youth mental health services, mentored entrepreneurs, hiked Kilimanjaro with his middle daughter, and traveled the world with his wife. Jeff is currently a member of the Board of Silicon Valley Bank.
About Coursera:
Coursera is one of the world’s largest online platforms for higher education. It partners with 150 of the world’s top universities and education institutions to offer courses, Specializations and degrees that empower learners around the world to achieve their career, educational, and personal enrichment goals throughout their lives. Since launching in 2012, the company has grown to 26 million registered learners who can choose among 2,000 courses and 180 Specializations available to enroll in at any time. Coursera is backed by leading venture capital firms such as Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, New Enterprise Associates, GSV Capital, International Finance Corporation, Laureate Education Inc. and Learn Capital.