Indian American Karthik Krishnan has been appointed as the global Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Encyclopaedia Britannica Group (Encyclopaedia Britannica, Britannica Digital Learning, Britannica Knowledge Systems, Merriam-Webster, and Melingo).
Announcing the appointment of Krishnan, Encyclopaedia Britannica Group said: “Extensive track record, together with his proven operational expertise and dynamic leadership, makes him ideally suited to lead the company and establish it as the go-to destination for learners of all ages.”
An adjunct assistant professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business, Krishnan has more than two decades of leadership experience in different companies.
Prior to joining Britannica, Krishnan served at RELX (Reed Elsevier, FTSE 100) in various roles for more than a decade. At RELX, he focused on driving business and cultural transformations and accelerating growth.
He most recently was senior vice president and general manager of Clinical Reference Solutions. His other positions within RELX included senior vice president and general manager of Global Pharma and eCommerce and vice president of Interactive Media.
As a digital transformation consultant at Rodale, Krishnan showed his excellence by launching award-winning websites, developing e-commerce channels, and forging business partnerships, which included Microsoft and AOL.
Krishnan, who currently serves on the board of nonprofit organization Urban Upbound, was recognized by former President Clinton for his leadership in launching the Urban Enterprise Initiative.
He holds a Master of Business Administration from NYU and a Bachelor of Engineering from Bharathiar University, India and an MBA from New York University – Stern School.
“We’re delighted to appoint such a passionate and experienced executive of Karthik’s caliber,” Jaqui E. Safra, Britannica chairman, said in a statement.
“Karthik’s keen interest in education, including lifelong learning, his passion for our brands, his record of exceptional business and people leadership, and his singular focus on customers make him uniquely qualified to serve as our CEO, meeting the needs of our customers globally in exciting and engaging ways,” he added.
“I’m excited to be part of Team Britannica because the brands underpinned by their strong missions have the potential to change the face of the knowledge and education industries globally,” said Krishnan.
“Given the global push to transform education and the eroding public trust in the quality and veracity of information on the Internet, the time is now for Team Britannica to join forces with consumers and public and private entities to make a positive difference,” he added.