Cognita has announced the appointment of David Baldwin as group CEO, overseeing its 90 schools in 20 countries.
The move is an internal promotion for Mr Baldwin from his role as chief of Cognita’s Middle East division, where he oversaw growth in the region to 14 schools in five countries, educating 23,000 students.
The appointment comes after Cognita had replaced former CEO Frank Maassen with chief financial officer Andreas Tolpeit as interim chief executive, as reported by Vlog last November.
Cognita confirmed Mr Tolpeit would return to his chief financial officer role with Mr Baldwin’s appointment.
‘Building on strong foundations’
Commenting on his appointment, Mr Baldwin, who joined the company in 2018, said it was an “enormous privilege” to take on the CEO role.
“I am excited to build on the strong foundations, help our schools focus their energy on what matters most - the students - and build a culture where people feel trusted, supported and proud of the difference they make,” he said.
Cognita said it had interviewed both external and internal candidates and Mr Baldwin was the best choice for the company’s prospects.
“His appointment will bring stability, continuity and optimism to the company,” said Jacob Polny, chairman of Cognita’s board of directors.
“He leads with purpose, operates with integrity, and, as a passionate educator, never loses sight of why we do this work.”
Cognita’s current chief financial officer for the Middle East, Stuart Millman, will become interim CEO for its Middle East division.
