Paula Singer

Background

About Paula Singer

I am an experienced CEO, Board Chair, and public company officer who spent my career building organizations that challenge the status quo in K-12 and higher education. Having recently retired from full time work, I am currently owner of Nurturing Nest Montessori School, serve on the University of Connecticut Foundation Board, and provide consulting services to private equity organizations exploring opportunities in the K-12 and Higher Education spaces. A significant portion of my career was spent as a senior executive & officer of Laureate Education Inc. As CEO of Laureate’s Online Education & Global Services divisions, my team was first to customize technologies to suit the needs of working professionals studying for the first time in an online format. From student information systems to learning technologies & student services, we combined innovative approaches with what was best from traditional higher ed setting the standard for online degrees globally. The goal & passion were simple: bring access to quality education to those who had been underserved for decades, help them graduate with a credential that allowed their voices to be heard & their knowledge to contribute to positive social change. These new approaches challenged accreditors, regulators, employers, & students to view higher education in new ways & to redefine long-standing quality criteria. We were proud catalysts changing attitudes regarding a model which is now widely valued & accepted. I gained important public company experience serving as an officer of Laureate Education. I understand public company legal requirements & the demands of investor expectations for returns. I delivered strong results for these companies, carefully attending to both quality results for our customers & financial results for our investors. I believe that these two outcomes are not diametrically opposed but instead support each other inextricably. At Laureate we put this belief into action by becoming a Public Benefits Corporation making the balance of benefit a legal requirement for our company. These experiences make me an advocate of good governance & strong boards. Strong boards require the right mix of experience, a deep sense of stewardship, and clearly articulated ethical standards. They keep relentless focus on the organization's mission & vision and challenge management to higher levels of achievement. As an experienced board member & board chair of universities, domestic & international, for-profit & nonprofit I know good governance to be essential to success.