Carnegie taps Todd Zipper for Chief Executive Officer role as higher education finds itself in a defining moment
Todd Zipper will join data and AI powered higher education technology specialist, Carnegie, later this month as Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Gary Colen, who will transition to the company’s board of directors.
“Todd brings the experience, the perspective, and the conviction to build on everything this team has accomplished, and I could not be more confident in what comes next for Carnegie under his leadership,” says Colen. “Higher education is moving quickly, and we have an incredible opportunity to continue evolving alongside the institutions we serve.”
Most recently, Zipper served as Chief Executive Officer of Axio, an AI driven learning innovation platform, where he led the company’s work around emerging AI applications for higher education. Previously, he was Executive Vice President and General Manager at Wiley, leading Wiley Education Services and Wiley Talent. His CV also includes a stint as President and Chief Executive Officer at The Learning House.
“Carnegie has built something genuinely rare in this category: the trust of nearly a thousand institutions and a team deeply committed to helping higher education move forward,” says Zipper. “Higher education is in a defining moment. AI is reshaping how learning happens, institutions are navigating more complexity than ever, and there is tremendous opportunity to help colleges and universities adapt while staying focused on the students they serve. I’m excited to build on what this team has created and help shape what comes next.”
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
AI will be a key focus area at our sister title RTIH’s 2026 Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out the 2025 winners here.
RTIH’s 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
