Clearlake Capital-Backed Discovery Education Names EdTech Veteran Jeremy Cowdrey as CEO
Appointment Signals a Continued Focus on Driving Growth and Impact
Charlotte, NC and Santa Monica, CA – March 2, 2023 – Discovery Education (or the “Company”), a global edtech company backed by Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. (together with its affiliates, “Clearlake”), today announced the appointment of Jeremy Cowdrey as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Former CEO Scott Kinney will retire from fulltime duties after over 18 years with Discovery Education and will work with Mr. Cowdrey and the Company as a member of the Board of Directors to enable a seamless transition and to continue to support the organization.
Mr. Cowdrey was most recently the Chief Executive Officer of Imagine Learning. Having joined the company in 2006, Mr. Cowdrey also served as Imagine Learning’s President, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and Regional Partnership Director.
“Jeremy’s record of success at prior edtech firms, his understanding of the education marketplace, and his commitment to supporting the success of all learners make him the natural choice to lead Discovery Education as its new CEO,” said James Pade, Partner and Managing Director at Clearlake, and Scott Kinney, Discovery Education Board Member. “We know the entire organization welcomes Jeremy to his new role and looks forward to supporting him in executing our strategic plan, driving growth and impact, and providing educators worldwide new and innovative digital tools that support the success of all learners.”
Prior to joining Imagine Learning, Mr. Cowdrey served in sales and management positions for several software and education companies, including Scott Foresman Addison Wesley, Pearson, and Novell. With over 23 years of experience in edtech, and as the first person in his immediate family to graduate from college, Mr. Cowdrey has a deep-seated belief in the value, purpose, mission, and importance an education brings.
“Each day, educators worldwide depend on Discovery Education to provide the digital tools they need to design and deliver the engaging learning experiences that build life-long learners,” said Mr. Cowdrey. “I look forward to working with the Discovery Education team to prepare learners for tomorrow by creating innovative classrooms connected to today’s world.”
For more information about Discovery Education’s award-winning digital resources and professional learning services, visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through Twitter and LinkedIn.
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About Discovery Education
One of the worldwide edtech leaders, Discovery Education supports learning wherever it takes place with its state-of-the-art digital platform. Through its award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, and innovative classroom tools, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences engaging all students and supporting higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and trusted organizations to empower teachers with leading edtech solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.
About Clearlake
Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. is an investment firm founded in 2006 operating integrated businesses across private equity, credit, and other related strategies. With a sector-focused approach, the firm seeks to partner with experienced management teams by providing patient, long term capital to dynamic businesses that can benefit from Clearlake’s operational improvement approach, O.P.S.® The firm’s core target sectors are technology, industrials, and consumer. Clearlake currently has over $70 billion of assets under management, and its senior investment principals have led or co-led over 400 investments. The firm is headquartered in Santa Monica, CA with affiliates in Dallas, TX, London, UK and Dublin, Ireland. More information is available at www.clearlake.com and on Twitter @Clearlake.
Media Contacts
For Discovery Education:
Stephen Wakefield
Phone: 202-316-6615
Email: swakefield@discoveryed.com
For Clearlake:
Jennifer Hurson
Phone: 845-507-0571
Email: jhurson@lambert.com