Former Dallas mayor and Turner Corporation chief executive brings
business and public sector acumen to education leader
Kaplan, Inc., a leading international provider of educational services
and a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE:WPO), today
announced the appointment of Thomas C. Leppert as president and chief
operating officer.
Tom Leppert, President and COO, Kaplan, Inc. (Photo: Business Wire)
A former mayor of Dallas, chairman and CEO of The Turner Corporation,
the largest commercial builder in the United States, and McKinsey & Co.
principal, Leppert brings deep and extensive business and public sector
experience to Kaplan. As president and COO, Leppert will assume
day-to-day oversight of the company’s operating divisions: Kaplan Test
Prep and Kaplan Higher Education in the United States, and Kaplan
International based in London, UK and with operations across Europe,
Asia, and Australia. He will report to Kaplan Chairman and CEO Andrew S.
Rosen.
Rosen said: “Tom’s exceptional track record of accomplishments in both
private business and the public sector makes him an ideal choice to help
position Kaplan for sustained growth in a period of dynamic change and
opportunity in the educational marketplace. He has been enormously
successful in multiple industries and roles, always based on integrity
and quality.”
Leppert said: “Over the years, as a leader in both the public and
private sector, as well as in my personal life, I have developed a deep
commitment to education. I understand its importance to the future of
our country and the world, and I have seen how education has the power
to transform lives. This opportunity to be personally involved in
influencing education, to improve individual lives, and to help lead a
company that is changing the educational landscape at a time when our
country and the world needs educational innovation, is unique and
compelling.”
Tom Leppert was the mayor of Dallas, TX, the ninth largest city in the
United States, from 2007-2011. In that role, Leppert aggressively
pursued policies that dramatically improved the quality of life in
Dallas. In the areas of public safety, economic development, education,
and the environment, Dallas emerged as one of the focal points in the
nation. He was actively involved in education, pioneering a number of
innovative educational programs.
Following his mayoralty, Leppert was a candidate for the Republican
nomination for U.S. Senate in 2012.
Leppert’s public career followed 30 years in the private sector, working
in the construction, homebuilding, real estate, and financial services
industries. During his tenure as CEO from 1999 to 2006, The Turner
Corporation’s revenues grew from $4 billion to nearly $9 billion and
total returns increased significantly. He led the entry into new markets
and initiated Turner University, an innovative internal, online training
program for its 7,000 plus employees.
Prior to Turner, Leppert held a number of business leadership positions,
including vice chairman of Pacific Century Financial Corporation and its
major subsidiary, the Bank of Hawaii, and president and CEO of Castle &
Cooke Properties, Inc., both in Honolulu, HI, and a national partner at
Trammell Crow Company. He began his career at McKinsey & Co., where he
was elected a principal of the firm.
Leppert was appointed by President Reagan as a White House Fellow in
1984. He served as executive assistant to the deputy secretary of the
treasury and a member of the staff of The White House’s Office of Policy
Development.
He holds an M.B.A. with Distinction from the Harvard Business School and
a bachelor’s in liberal arts from Claremont McKenna College.
He has been an active leader in civic and community organizations,
including chairing the Greater Dallas Regional Chamber, the Hawaii
Business Roundtable and the Bishop Museum. He has served on the boards
of Baylor Healthcare System, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Dallas
Citizens Council, Dallas Zoological Society, and the National Building
Museum, among others.
He has been actively involved in a wide range of educational
institutions ranging from chairing the West Dallas Community School, an
acclaimed K-8 school in one of the lowest income areas of the nation, to
serving on the boards of the Episcopal School of Dallas, Claremont
McKenna College, and Harvard Business School alumni.
About Kaplan
Kaplan, Inc. is a leading international provider of educational and
career services for individuals, schools, and businesses. Kaplan serves
students of all ages through a wide array of offerings including higher
education, test preparation, professional training and programs for kids
in grades K through 12. Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post
Company (NYSE: WPO) and its largest division. For more information,
please visit www.kaplan.com.
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