Pearson (LON: PSON), the FTSE 100 education, publishing and assessment company, said earlier today that it has appointed three new non-executive directors to its board. Michael Barkin and Vivek Sharma join as independent non-executive directors, while Alex Svensson joins as a non-executive director, all with effect from the 1st of October, Pearson said in a regulatory announcement published on the London Stock Exchange.
The appointment drawing most attention is Svensson’s, which formalises the board presence of Cevian Capital, Pearson’s largest shareholder. Svensson has worked closely with Pearson since joining Cevian in 2014, and his appointment is subject to a relationship agreement between the two parties. He will join Pearson’s Nomination and Governance Committee from the 1st of October.
Barkin and Sharma bring the financial and technology expertise Pearson wants as it pushes further into digital and AI-driven learning. Barkin is president and a board director of Clear Secure, and previously served as chief financial officer of Vail Resorts and held roles at Bain Capital Partners and Bain & Company. Sharma is chief executive and co-founder of Quantelix, a quantum-technology biosensing firm, and previously led InStride, an education-technology business; he has also held leadership roles at Disney and Yahoo and sits on the boards of JetBlue Airways, Coforge and Kaiser Permanente.
Pearson chair Omid Kordestani said the appointments strengthen the board’s financial and technology expertise while recognising the company’s relationship with Cevian.
Our new Directors complement a strong and talented Board, bringing deep financial experience along with strong expertise in AI and emerging technologies. Additionally, Alex’s appointment also recognises our longstanding and collaborative relationship with Cevian.
Omid Kordestani, Pearson
Svensson said Cevian has strong conviction in Pearson’s leadership, strategy and value potential, and that joining the board marks a continuation of six years of engagement with the company. Sharma said his conversations with Pearson’s leadership had convinced him he wanted to lend his technology and education expertise to help shape the group’s future direction.