Renaissance brings in ex-Starbucks CTO Gerri Martin-Flickinger as Board Chair amid AI push

Renaissance has appointed former Starbucks Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Gerri Martin-Flickinger as Board Chair as the K–12 EdTech company expands its platform and AI roadmap.

Renaissance has appointed Gerri Martin-Flickinger as Chair of its Board of Directors, effective immediately, the company announced on January 14, 2026.

Martin-Flickinger joins Renaissance’s board leadership after senior technology roles across enterprise and consumer platforms. Renaissance provides K–12 assessment, reading, and learning analytics tools. Most recently, she served as Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Starbucks. She previously served as Chief Information Officer at Adobe during the company’s shift to a cloud-based subscription model.

Martin-Flickinger says, “I’m honored to join Renaissance’s Board of Directors and support its mission to accelerate learning for all. Education is the foundation of opportunity, and I’m energized by the tremendous potential ahead.

“I look forward to helping guide Renaissance as it continues to innovate, drive growth, and elevate the experience for educators and students worldwide.”

Existing board roles tie K–12 and higher education software

Martin-Flickinger is currently Chair of the Board at Ellucian, a higher education software provider, and serves as a Board Member at Charles Schwab. Renaissance positioned that governance experience as relevant as it continues to expand product reach and investment in AI.

Renaissance highlighted Martin-Flickinger’s earlier Chief Information Officer roles at Verisign, McAfee, and Network Associates, along with prior leadership experience at Chevron.

Chris Bauleke, Chief Executive Officer at Renaissance, says, “We are thrilled to welcome Gerri to our Board. Her leadership in using technology and AI to create customer-centric solutions will be invaluable as we continue to innovate and scale to meet the evolving needs of educators and students.”

ETIH Innovation Awards 2026

The ETIH Innovation Awards 2026 are now open and recognize education technology organizations delivering measurable impact across K–12, higher education, and lifelong learning. The awards are open to entries from the UK, the Americas, and internationally, with submissions assessed on evidence of outcomes and real-world application.