Management Team
Jeff Wahl is President & CEO of EdisonLearning, a leading international educational solutions provider with 20 years of experience partnering with school districts, governments, organizations, charter authorizers, and boards. EdisonLearning works with partners, serving more than 500,000 students in 24 states, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East.
During his tenure, he has led the operational and financial turnaround of the organization. These efforts included leading effective acquisitions and partnerships with a variety of organizations such as Magic Johnson Enterprises, and creating a national presence in virtual and alternative education. He also has led a series of initiatives that increased the company’s efficiency, including the elimination of spending on non-core activities and implementation of strategies for redesigned finance, human resources, sales and field support operations.
When he joined the organization in 2007, Jeff brought an extensive background and experience in strategy development and operational/financial management. Jeff spent 15 years with General Electric (GE) in a variety of operational and P&L assignments, including senior leadership positions with GE Capital. Specifically, he served as President and COO of GE Capital’s Great Lakes Bureau in Buffalo, NY. He was also COO of Outsourcing Solutions, Inc., a leading provider of business outsourcing services. Jeff began his career as a supervising senior accountant at KPMG-Peat Marwick.
Through his work, Jeff has earned national recognition as a leading voice in education reform and has been a frequent speaker at educational conferences. In addition, he frequently serves as an advisor to local, state and national leaders on education policy. He has been an advisor to several gubernatorial transition teams and has lectured at New York University and Columbia University. Jeff is also a member of the Digital Learning Council, a national organization led by Governors Jeb Bush and Bob Wise that is focused on identifying policies that will integrate technology innovation into public education.
Jeff graduated with highest honors from Walsh University and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with majors in Accounting, Management, and Finance. He is also a Certified Black Belt in “Six Sigma,” a highly disciplined process to help companies focus on developing and delivering near-perfect products and services.
Thom Jackson is Chief Operating & Legal Officer of EdisonLearning, a leading international educational solutions provider with 20 years of experience partnering with school districts, governments, organizations, charter authorizers and boards. EdisonLearning works with partners, serving more than 500,000 students in 24 states, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East.
Thom serves a critical leadership role in developing, articulating and executing the company’s growth and implementation strategies. Thom’s operational leadership has deepened the company’s focus on “Operational Excellence:” ensuring that the domestic field operations implements with fidelity the Company’s proprietary Five Strand Design®; successfully re-tooling the company’s enrollment function; building and implementing an effective and efficient account management model; developing a coherent communications and social media strategy; and managing the operational features of the company’s strategic alliance with Magic Johnson Enterprises. Thom’s operational leadership has dramatically impacted the company’s P&L, including a substantial (nearly $9 million) improvement in Gross Profits for its Magic Johnson Bridgescape product line.
Thom also manages the company’s legal risks and serves as the company’s Corporate Secretary. Before joining EdisonLearning, Thom held various key leadership positions at international and Fortune 100 companies. As the Chief Legal Officer at the GAB Robins Group of Companies, a private equity portfolio company with operations in over 50 countries, Thom led international acquisition teams and negotiated complex financial instruments in excess of $400 million. At both Prudential and MetLife, Thom held positions of increasing responsibility and managed enterprise-wide projects, helping to design and implement corporate compliance and “early warning” systems that mitigated high-profile legal and regulatory risks.
Thom has served three New Jersey Governors, including leading a budget task force of New Jersey business leaders established by Governor Richard Codey to streamline New Jersey’s $30 Billion budget and serving on the budget transition team for Governor Jon Corzine. In 2007, Thom was appointed to serve as the inaugural Chairman of the Board of Directors for New Jersey’s largest charity care hospital, the UMDNJ’s University Hospital, with more than $500 million in revenues. Under Thom’s leadership, University Hospital posted its first profitable years in more than two decades.
Thom received his undergraduate degree in Political Science at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana with an emphasis on economics and international relations. Thom received his Juris Doctor from the University of Cincinnati College of Law.
David Peek is Chief Financial & Resource Officer of EdisonLearning, a leading international educational solutions provider with 20 years of experience partnering with school districts, governments, organizations, charter authorizers and boards. EdisonLearning works with partners, serving more than 500,000 students in 24 states, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East.
Upon joining the EdisonLearning in June 2009, David relocated the Finance operation from New York to Knoxville, Tennessee, overhauled the budgeting and forecasting systems, redesigned financial reports and the timetable for financial deliverables. David’s open management style significantly enhanced financial communication across all functional areas of the company.
David also leads the company’s human resource functions as well as corporate technology services. Under his leadership, the company successfully transitioned its payroll and human resource functions from ADP to Ceridian, resulting in significant savings for years to come, while also improving overall functionality.
Prior to joining EdisonLearning, David was the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Goody’s Family Clothing, Inc. – a 400+ chain of family apparel stores serving 22 southeastern states and annual sales exceeding $1.3 billion. David took Goody’s public in 1991, and then back private in 2005 when the Company was purchased by a private equity group. Over his 20-year tenure at Goody’s, the company grew from 80 stores and $200 million in sales, to over 400 stores and $1.3 billion in sales. Prior to Goody’s, David served as a senior manager at a regional accounting firm for five years.
David is a Certified Public Accountant and is a member of both the American Institute of CPA’s and the Tennessee Society of CPA’s. He graduated with honors, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Tennessee with a major in Accounting.
Matthew Given is Chief Development Officer of EdisonLearning, a leading international educational solutions provider with 20 years of experience partnering with school districts, governments, organizations, charter authorizers, and boards. EdisonLearning works with partners, serving more than 500,000 students in 24 states, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East.
Matt joined EdisonLearning in August 2010 and is responsible for leading EdisonLearning’s business development and government relations efforts in the U.S.
Prior to EdisonLearning, Matt was Vice President of School Development and Government Relations at Kaplan Virtual Education, where he opened 12 public virtual schools. He has also held the positions of Academic Director and General Manager (Georgia) at Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, and General Manager and Vice President of School Improvement Programs for Kaplan K-12 Learning Services.