Leadership Overview
Ascend Learning has 9 executives leading key functions including strategy, financial oversight, technology architecture, human capital, marketing, legal compliance, and operational management.
Focused on bridging the gap between education and professional success, Ascend Learning delivers high-impact digital content and simulation tools to empower learners across healthcare, fitness, and financial services sectors.
Focused on bridging the gap between education and professional success, Ascend Learning delivers high-impact digital content and simulation tools to empower learners across healthcare, fitness, and financial services sectors.
Leadership Roles at Ascend Learning
Lissy Hu - Chief Executive Officer
Lissy Hu, the Chief Executive Officer at Ascend Learning, directs the overarching strategic vision for the organization. Hu defines the long-term roadmap for digital education solutions, ensuring alignment with the evolving needs of healthcare and licensure-driven industries. By fostering a culture of innovation, the Chief Executive Officer drives the development of advanced assessment and analytics tools that support professional growth. Lissy Hu maintains close collaboration with the Board to secure sustainable market expansion and operational excellence. This leadership role involves identifying new opportunities for growth within the competitive landscape of tech-enabled education. Through consistent focus on outcomes-based learning, the Chief Executive Officer ensures that all products deliver tangible workplace impact. Ultimately, Hu positions the company as a premier provider of career-readiness solutions, maintaining a strong commitment to the success of learners and institutional partners across diverse professional fields.

Mandeep Johar - Chief Financial Officer
Mandeep Johar, the Chief Financial Officer at Ascend Learning, manages the fiscal health and capital allocation strategies of the enterprise. Johar oversees financial planning, reporting, and risk management to support the company's mission of powering professional growth. By analyzing market trends in education technology, the Chief Financial Officer optimizes resource distribution to fuel product development and innovation. Mandeep Johar coordinates with executive leadership to ensure financial discipline while pursuing aggressive growth targets in healthcare and financial services sectors. This role involves maintaining robust internal controls and transparency to satisfy stakeholders and investors. Through rigorous financial modeling, the Chief Financial Officer identifies efficiencies that enhance the scalability of digital content and simulation tools. Ultimately, Johar secures the financial foundation necessary for the company to continue delivering high-quality, outcomes-focused educational solutions that bridge the gap between academic preparation and real-world workplace performance.

Susan Pollock - President
Susan Pollock, the President at Ascend Learning, oversees the day-to-day execution of the company's business strategy and operational performance. Pollock directs the integration of various business units to ensure a unified approach to delivering digital content, assessments, and simulation tools. By fostering collaboration across departments, the President drives the company's mission to power professional growth in healthcare, fitness, and financial services. Susan Pollock monitors key performance indicators to ensure that all products meet the high standards required for licensure-driven fields. This role involves working closely with the CEO to translate strategic goals into actionable plans that enhance market impact. Through effective leadership and operational oversight, the President ensures that the company remains agile and responsive to the needs of learners and employers. Ultimately, Pollock maintains the focus on outcomes-focused solutions, ensuring that the company continues to bridge the gap between education and workplace success.
Ash Siebecker - Chief Technology Officer
Ash Siebecker, the Chief Technology Officer at Ascend Learning, architects the digital infrastructure that powers the company's educational platforms. Siebecker leads the engineering teams responsible for developing sophisticated simulation tools, assessment engines, and analytics dashboards. By integrating cutting-edge technology into the learning experience, the Chief Technology Officer ensures that all digital content remains accessible and effective for professionals seeking credentials. Ash Siebecker collaborates with product leaders to translate market requirements into scalable software solutions that drive career readiness. This role involves overseeing cybersecurity protocols and data integrity to protect the information of learners and institutional partners. Through continuous improvement of the technical stack, the Chief Technology Officer supports the company's ability to deliver high-performance educational outcomes. Ultimately, Siebecker maintains the technological edge required to keep the organization at the forefront of the tech-enabled education industry, facilitating seamless learning experiences across various licensure-driven fields.

Annie Drapeau - Chief Human Resources Officer
Annie Drapeau, the Chief Human Resources Officer at Ascend Learning, directs the talent strategy and organizational development initiatives. Drapeau cultivates a high-performance culture that aligns with the company's mission of fostering professional growth in healthcare and other critical fields. By implementing robust recruitment, retention, and professional development programs, the Chief Human Resources Officer ensures the organization attracts top-tier talent capable of building innovative educational tools. Annie Drapeau partners with executive leadership to design compensation structures and performance management systems that drive employee engagement and productivity. This role involves overseeing internal communications and diversity initiatives to maintain a cohesive and inclusive workplace environment. Through strategic workforce planning, the Chief Human Resources Officer supports the company's ability to scale operations and meet the demands of a growing global market. Ultimately, Drapeau strengthens the human capital foundation, enabling the company to deliver superior outcomes for learners and employers alike.

Holly Kitterman - Executive Assistant & Chief Technology Officer, Technology & Operations
Holly Kitterman, the Executive Assistant & Chief Technology Officer, Technology & Operations at Ascend Learning, manages the intersection of administrative efficiency and technical operational workflows. Kitterman optimizes internal processes to ensure that technology teams remain focused on delivering high-quality simulation and assessment tools. By streamlining communication between departments, the Chief Technology Officer, Technology & Operations facilitates rapid project execution and cross-functional collaboration. Holly Kitterman oversees the implementation of operational best practices that enhance the reliability of digital content delivery systems. This role involves coordinating complex technical initiatives while maintaining the administrative rigor required for executive-level decision-making. Through the integration of operational data and technical insights, the Chief Technology Officer, Technology & Operations drives improvements in service delivery and platform performance. Ultimately, Kitterman ensures that the company's technological infrastructure remains agile and responsive to the needs of professionals preparing for career milestones in licensure-driven fields.
Holly Lim - Executive Assistant & Chief Technology Officer, Technology & Operations
Holly Lim, the Executive Assistant & Chief Technology Officer, Technology & Operations at Ascend Learning, focuses on the modernization of internal operational systems and technical support frameworks. Lim directs the deployment of tools that improve the efficiency of content creation and delivery across the company's diverse educational platforms. By refining the operational workflows that support the development of simulation and analytics tools, the Chief Technology Officer, Technology & Operations ensures that technical resources align with business objectives. Holly Lim manages the coordination of complex technical projects, ensuring that teams meet critical milestones for product launches and updates. This role involves analyzing operational bottlenecks and implementing solutions that enhance the overall productivity of the technology organization. Through the application of data-driven insights, the Chief Technology Officer, Technology & Operations supports the company's commitment to providing high-quality, outcomes-focused learning solutions. Ultimately, Lim maintains the operational stability necessary for the company to scale its impact across healthcare and other professional sectors.
Jenney Babcock - Chief Marketing Officer, Ascend Learning Healthcare
Jenney Babcock, the Chief Marketing Officer, Ascend Learning Healthcare at Ascend Learning, leads the brand strategy and market positioning for the healthcare division. Babcock develops targeted campaigns that highlight the value of digital content and simulation tools for healthcare professionals seeking credentials. By analyzing market demand and learner behavior, the Chief Marketing Officer, Ascend Learning Healthcare drives growth in key segments, ensuring that the company's solutions reach the right institutions and employers. Jenney Babcock coordinates with product teams to communicate the practical, outcomes-focused benefits of the company's offerings. This role involves managing brand reputation and expanding the company's presence in competitive healthcare education markets. Through strategic partnerships and digital outreach, the Chief Marketing Officer, Ascend Learning Healthcare increases awareness of the company's ability to bridge the gap between learning and workplace impact. Ultimately, Babcock secures the market share necessary to sustain the company's leadership in healthcare professional development.
Lawrence Gold - Chief Legal Officer
Lawrence Gold, the Chief Legal Officer at Ascend Learning, manages all legal affairs, regulatory compliance, and corporate governance matters. Gold ensures that the company's digital content and assessment tools adhere to industry standards and licensure requirements across various professional fields. By providing strategic counsel on intellectual property, contracts, and risk mitigation, the Chief Legal Officer protects the company's assets and reputation. Lawrence Gold collaborates with executive leadership to navigate the complex regulatory landscape of the education technology sector. This role involves overseeing legal operations to support business expansion and partnership agreements. Through proactive legal management, the Chief Legal Officer enables the company to innovate while maintaining strict compliance with evolving laws. Ultimately, Gold provides the legal framework necessary for the company to deliver reliable, high-quality educational solutions that empower professionals to achieve their career milestones with confidence and integrity.

Explore Leadership Teams in Education
Road Scholar is an American not-for-profit organization that provides educational travel programs primarily geared toward older adults. The organization is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. From its founding in 1975 until 2010, Road Scholar was known as Elderhostel. Road Scholar offers study tours throughout the United States and Canada and in approximately 150 other countries.
Company Leadership
KH
LP
LB
Established in 1900 and headquartered in New York City, New York, College Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization that connects students to resources to help them gain college success and opportunity.
Company Leadership LK
Established in 1952, Lifescape is a non-profit organization that provide services to individuals with disabilities. Some of the services they provide include employment training and assistance, physical therapy, speech therapy, and more. This company is headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Company Leadership DT
LT
SW
Founded in 1998, Vinsys is an ISO 9001:2015 certified organization and a globally acclaimed individual and corporate training provider. With 20+ years of legacy in empowering professionals through globally recognized certification training, Vinsys has enlightened 600K+ individuals to attain their goals in the corporate sector. The company specializes in conducting corporate training and open house workshops in Information Technology, IT Service Management, IT Governance, IT Infrastructure Library, Project Management, Behavioral and Management Solutions, and Foreign Languages for enterprises and governments worldwide.
Company Leadership SS
ND
SD
VP