Jonathan Grayer
| Jonathan Grayer | |
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| Born | Brooklyn, NY |
| Occupation | CEO of Weld North. Former Chairman and CEO of Kaplan, Inc. |
| Known for | Global expansion and diversification of Kaplan, Inc. from 1994-2008 |
Jonathan Grayer is the former Chairman and CEO of Kaplan, Inc., a global education company and test prep provider that has been owned by Graham Holdings Company (formerly the Washington Post Company) since 1984. Grayer is credited with expanding the company to its current size since 1994 when he was first appointed CEO. In January 2010, Grayer, in partnership with Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, launched Weld North LLC, an investment company concentrating on consumer services, education, media and marketing businesses. He serves as CEO and Chairman of the company.
Grayer graduated with a B.A. from Harvard College in 1986 and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. Over the course of his college career, he served as a summer intern in the corporate development department at The Washington Post Company. Upon completing his M.B.A. at Harvard Business School in 1990, he joined the marketing department of Newsweek, another Washington Post company, where he was eventually named the director of marketing. Grayer joined Kaplan in 1990 as regional operations director, and held several titles before becoming president and CEO in July 1994. He was named Chairman and CEO of the education company in February 2002.(The Washingtonian, June 2005)
When Grayer first became CEO of Kaplan in 1994, the company was an $80 million test preparation business. Through a series of strategic acquisitions that brought Kaplan into the higher education and professional training markets, he was able to diversify Kaplan into a company that provides lifelong learning and had more than $2 billion in revenue in 2007.
In 2004, BusinessWeek named Grayer one of the best managers of the year for his leadership in establishing Kaplan as The Washington Post Company’s "financial crown jewel." The company’s growth under his leadership has been reported on by other national and international media including Fortune,Forbes,The Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times. On November 19, 2008, Grayer announced his resignation from Kaplan, stating that he plans to pursue "entrepreneurial activity, investment and philanthropy."
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