Cengage Announces Expanded Leadership Roles for Two Executives

BOSTON, Jan. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ Cengage, an education and technology company, today announced expanded leadership roles for two executives who played key roles in launching the company's groundbreaking subscription service, Cengage Unlimited. The executives, Fernando Bleichmar and Todd Markson, have been appointed Chief Product Officer and Chief Strategy Officer, respectively.

"As we strive to be a 90% digital company by 2019, it is essential that we continue to have strong leaders in place to guide our student-focused strategy and product development," said Michael Hansen, CEO, Cengage. "I am pleased to announce Fernando Bleichmar as our new Chief Product Officer. He was the architect of Cengage Unlimited and his data-driven approach to our company's ongoing transformation will continue to drive content and product strategy for the organization.

"I am also happy to announce Todd Markson as our Chief Strategy Officer. In his three years with Cengage, Todd has led strategy and operations for our Sales and Marketing organizations with wide-ranging and profound impact," continued Hansen. "In his new role, Todd will build on this foundation, combining insight, rigorous analytics, deep market knowledge and strong leadership to guide our strategy, M&A, partnerships and commercial and pricing models enterprise-wide."

As Chief Product Officer, Bleichmar will continue to serve on the Executive Team and be responsible for all product development across the company. In his previous role as Chief Strategy Officer, he led efforts to expand student choices and new revenue streams, such as the company's industry-leading participation in rental programs. He has led efforts to deliver changes to pricing and product mix, resulting in significant savings for students, including Cengage Unlimited, the first-of-its-kind, all-inclusive subscription for course materials.

Markson, also key in the development and execution of Cengage Unlimited, will join the Executive Team, having most recently served as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Strategy and Operations. In this role, he created and drove a step-change in organization structure, operating model, level of automation and a data-driven approach to decision-making. He has led significant rental, Inclusive Access and digital integration models across the company's major channel partners to give students more affordable and seamless access to Cengage products. He was also instrumental in the company's industry-wide efforts to combat counterfeit activity.

About Cengage
Cengage is the education and technology company built for learners. The company serves the higher education, K-12, professional, library and workforce training markets worldwide. Cengage creates learning experiences that build confidence and momentum toward the future students want. The company is headquartered in Boston, MA with an office hub in San Francisco. Employees reside in nearly 40 countries with sales in more than 125 countries around the world. Visit us at http://www.cengage.com or find us on Facebook or Twitter.

Media Contacts:
Susan Aspey
Cengage
202-695-6012
Susan.aspey@cengage.com

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