Triumph’s Executive Leadership Team
John M. Larson, Executive Chairman, CEO and President
Jack has over 40 years of experience in private and for-profit higher education and is the founder of The Perdeceo Education Group, formerly known as the Career Education Corporation (NASDAQ: PRDO), one of the world’s largest higher education organizations. Jack served as the company’s President, Chief Executive Officer, and a member and Chairman of the Board of Directors. Under his leadership, Career Education acquired renowned brands, including Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America, and pioneered its unique virtual campus which was adopted in other highly successful, fully online platforms. Jack is an original investor and current member of the Board of Directors for 2U (NASDAQ: TWOU), which provides online curriculum development for leading US universities. He also serves as a board member for The Family Institute at Northwestern University. Jack was an Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” and was selected as one of the first inductees to the University of California at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business “Haas Hall of Fame”. He currently sponsors scholarships at the Haas School of Business to support entrepreneurship, as well as Berkeley’s School of Information in support of big data development.
Kirk T. Bachmann, Boulder Campus President | Provost
Kirk Bachmann, M.Ed., CEC, AAC currently serves as the President of Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts Boulder, Colorado campus and Provost for Triumph Higher Education. He also previously served as president of the Escoffier Boulder campus before recently returning to the organization. Prior to arriving back at Triumph in 2019, he served as the Vice President of Culinary Training & Development at Rouxbe Online Culinary School and held Executive positions with renowned Le Cordon Bleu Cooking Schools. Kirk graduated from the University of Oregon and went on to receive his formal culinary training at The Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon. He also holds a master’s degree in education, is a Certified Executive Chef (CEC) and a member of the American Academy of Chefs (AAC). Bachmann is active in the industry and is a Culinary Salon medalist. He is also a member of The International Association of Culinary Professionals, Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, Antonin Careme Society, Disciples d’Escoffier and The International Food and Beverage Forum.
C.R. “Chuck” Christopherson, Chief Financial Officer
As Chief Financial Officer, Chuck leads Escoffier’s financial, investment, banking, acquisitions, and real estate areas. He is a global operating, financial and strategy executive with extensive experience in various industries including global software, software-as-a service, communications, IT, banking, and government. Prior to joining Escoffier, Chuck served as CFO for IntelliCentrics Global Holdings, a publicly traded international SaaS company supporting trusted healthcare and credentialing; and the CEO for CB Solutions. His experience includes senior executive positions with business oversight in 170 countries at BT Global Services and SAP; and involved in the acquisition and integration of over 100 companies in an industry rollup that created a $5.5B corporation. In 2005, he was appointed by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to the Cabinet of the USDA and as their CFO. His appointment was later expanded to include Senate Confirmation to the Board of the Commodities Credit Corporation, CIO operations, and to the Board of the USDA Graduate School. As a Lean Six Sigma (L6) Black Belt and Executive Sponsor he implemented the first L6 programs into the government with shared service teams achieving benchmarks equal to top U.S. corporations. He received his Bachelor’s in Accounting, with a Minor in Computer Science, from the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University, an Executive Master’s in Business Administration from the Lundquist College of Business at the University of Oregon, and continuing education certification at the University of Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Executive and CFO Education Program. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant.
Tom Ehrhardt, Chief Marketing Officer
In Tom’s role as Chief Marketing Officer, he is responsible for growing Escoffier’s enrollment and awareness within the culinary and hospitality industries. He also collaborates with the leadership team to identify programmatic growth opportunities and innovative ways to deliver best in class student experiences. Tom has over 20 years of multi-industry experience in marketing and product development within higher education, automotive, financial services and publishing. Most recently he served as the Chief Marketing Officer for National Louis University, Vice President of Marketing at Laureate International Universities and Group Director of Brand and Strategy Development for Career Education Corporation’s Le Cordon Bleu schools. Tom holds two bachelor’s degrees from Valparaiso University as well as a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Loyola University Chicago.
Jill Geimer, Chief Human Resources Officer
As Triumph’s Chief Human Resource Officer, Jill over 20 years of expertise in human resources and organizational development across various sectors, including education, marketing and media services, and technology. Most recently, Jill was Managing Director and Head of Human Resources at Ecentria, where her leadership in talent management and HR operations earned the company recognition as one of the "Best and Brightest Companies to Work For." A recipient of the "CHRO of the Year" award for mid-market companies by HRO Today in 2020, Jill is known for her strong background in talent acquisition, leadership development, employee engagement, and leading change management initiatives. She holds two master’s degrees from Loyola University Chicago: a Master of Arts in Community Counseling and a Master of Science in Human Resources & Industrial Relations, along with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts from Purdue University.
Steve Georgis, Chief Technology Officer
In his role, Steve is responsible for developing Triumph’s overall technology strategy and implementing initiatives across all functional areas within our institutions. Prior to joining Triumph, Steve served as the Vice President of Technology for Pearson Online Learning Services where he led a team of over 45 multi-disciplinary professionals in administering all technology initiatives and projects across regional locations throughout the US and Canada. Prior to his time at Pearson, he served as the Director of Enterprise Applications for Career Education Corporation where he led a team that partnered with and delivered technology services to core business functions that included sales, marketing, academics and student services. Prior to entering the education arena, Steve worked as a Senior Technology Consultant for Software Architects in Westchester, Illinois and as an Application Developer for the
ederal Reserve Bank in Chicago. He graduated with high honors from DePaul University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Information Systems.
Jeffrey Larson, Chief Development Officer
As Chief Development Officer, Jeff focuses on MM411 support and strategy, as well as other special initiatives that will drive our future success. Before his current role, he oversaw Escoffier’s admissions department, where he played a key role in expanding and developing the culinary and pastry programs, both online and on-campus. Prior to his time at Triumph, Jeff held admissions positions at American InterContinental University and Colorado Technical University. Jeff is a graduate of the University of Kansas where he received his B.S. in Economics.
Tim Lee, Chief Operating Officer
Tim brings to Triumph extensive leadership experience in higher education with a proven track record of driving institutional growth and development. Before joining Triumph, he served as President of Business Operations at West Coast University and Chief Operating Officer at American Career College, where he oversaw significant expansion and strategic initiatives. His expertise spans admissions, marketing, IT, compliance, and various operational functions, and he has worked with multiple regional and national accreditation bodies. Currently, Tim is a commissioner at the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). His diverse industry experience which includes culinary arts and healthcare perfectly aligns him to help Triumph grow and support its wide and developing customer base. Tim holds a bachelor's degree in social sciences from California State University – San Bernardino and an MBA from the University of La Verne.
Marcus McMellon, Austin Campus President
Marcus McMellon is President of the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts Austin, Texas campus; part of the Triumph Higher Education network of schools. Marcus turned his early interest in food and agricultural sourcing into a variety of positions in several restaurants. In 2001, Marcus began his career in culinary education with Le Cordon Bleu Cooking Schools, serving as Vice President of Finance and Operations during the construction and start-up phase of the Austin Le Cordon Bleu Campus. Before joining Triumph Education in 2014, Marcus held the positions of Campus President and Chief Financial Officer for two other proprietary education providers in the Dallas area. For the past eight years, Marcus’ contributions to Escoffier have been an integral part of the culinary landscape in and around the state of Texas and beyond, yielding classically trained culinary graduates who are ready to enter the industry with pride.
Patricia Beckwith, VP of Student and Career Services
In her current role, Patricia leads the Student and Career Services department to promote the success of students and alumni in their career goals. Among her main objectives are marketing to college programs, industry professionals and employers as well as overseeing an extensive employer relations program including recruiting, externship development and business outreach. Before her time with Triumph Higher Education, she was a Campus Director of Career Services for Le Cordon Bleu and a Senior Career Consultant for BPI Group. She honorably served in the United States Air Force for 10 years, where she received an extensive education in leadership. She is an advocate for veterans and developing career and educational opportunities for under served communities. Patricia holds a Bachelor of Arts in Management and a Master of Arts in Human Resource Management.
Pam Trandahl, Chief Government & Student Affairs Officer
Pam serves as the Chief Government & Student Affairs Officer for Triumph Higher Education Group. She is responsible for the oversight of all compliance areas for both campuses of Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. Prior to joining Triumph, Trandahl has held multiple roles in operations and Title IV administration in the Higher Education industry and has approximately 20 years in culinary education administration.
