Ron Packard
Founder and CEO
K12 Inc.
Panelist: Eavesdropping on the Experts
Tuesday, June 7
4:00 - 5:00 pm
Ron Packard is the CEO and Founder of K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), a technology-based education company based in Herndon, VA. K12 is the nation’s largest provider of proprietary curriculum and online education programs to students in grades K-12. K12 provides its curriculum and academic services to online schools, traditional classrooms, blended school programs, and directly to families.
K12’s mission is to maximize a child’s potential by providing access to an engaging and effective education, regardless of geographic location or socio-economic background. Mr. Packard was previously a vice president of Knowledge Universe, and CEO of Knowledge Schools, which provides high-quality childhood education in community and employer-sponsored centers, and invests in, incubates, and operates several charter school companies. Previously, Mr. Packard worked for McKinsey & Company, as well as for Goldman Sachs in mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Packard holds a B.A. in Economics and Mechanical Engineering with honors from the University of California at Berkeley. As a Hughes scholar, he spent his undergraduate summers writing an image-processing language. He holds an M.B.A. with honors from the University of Chicago and he is a chartered financial analyst.
Mr. Packard was the 2007 recipient of the Education Industry Association’s James P. Boyle Entrepreneurial Leadership Award, bestowed to individuals whose achievements in the for-profit education industry serve as a guidepost for others starting and building entrepreneurial education endeavors. In 2008, Packard won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the IT Services & Solutions category in Greater Washington for his outstanding leadership in building and leading a dynamic and growing business. Ron was the recipient of the Distinguished Entrepreneurial Award from Chicago Booth in 2009 for his achievements in public service, entrepreneurship, finance, and corporate leadership. In 2010, Ron Packard won the USDLA Award for demonstrating Outstanding Leadership in the field of Distance Learning. He previously served on the Department of Defense Educational Advisory Committee. He is Chairman of the Board of Middlebury Interactive Languages, LLC, and is a member of the Digital Learning Council.
Mr. Packard has also been profiled in many media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, FOX News Business Channel, Forbes Magazine, Investors Business Daily, Washington Business Journal, and SmartCEO Magazine.
