Education 2024: KARL McDONNELL

Focused on primarily online learning for working adults, Strategic Education was formed in 2018 through the $2 billion merger of Strayer Education and Capella Education. The education services holding company owns for-profit Strayer and Capella universities and other entities.

McDonnell previously was president and CEO of Strayer, which he joined in 2006, serving as chief operating officer and later also as a board member before taking the top job in 2013.

Strategic Education’s programs range from Capella and Strayer universities in the U.S., which offer primarily online associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs, to three programs in Australia and New Zealand.

Its Education Technology Services division has an education benefits administration program for employers and offers Sophia Learning, with online general education-level courses for college credits. 

McDonnell previously was COO of Intelistaf Healthcare, and before that, a vice president at Goldman Sachs. From 1995 to 2000, he was general manager of the Walt Disney World theme park in Orlando, Florida.

McDonnell has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Virginia Wesleyan University and an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.