Education 2025: MCDONNELL, KARL

Focused primarily on online learning for working adults, Strategic Education was formed in 2018 through the $2 billion merger of Strayer Education and Capella Education. Year-over-year revenue for Strategic Education increased nearly 5% in the first quarter of this year.

McDonnell previously served as president and CEO of Strayer, which he joined in 2006. He was chief operating officer and later was a board member before taking the corner office 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, worked as a vice president at Goldman Sachs. From 1995 to 2000, he was general manager of Walt Disney World.

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

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