Mark Ward

Mark joined CIEE as the Chief Operating Officer in November of 2023. In this role, Mark is responsible for leading CIEE’s central administration activities for finance, facilities, legal services, information technology, and business strategy development. 

Before joining CIEE, Mark held various leadership positions at educational organizations including Kaplan and Bright Horizons. Mark was Vice President and General Manager at Bright Horizons’ tuition assistance management division for six years where he was responsible for all aspects of the business. He also served at Kaplan, Inc. for 17 years, holding a variety of positions of increasing scope and responsibility, including his final role as Senior Vice President, US, K-12 and Pre-College Programs. 

Earlier in his career, Mark served as an attorney with a specialization in employment and education law, served as a judicial clerk for the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, and spent two years as a faculty member at Vermont Law School teaching moot court and legal writing. 

Mark earned his Juris Doctor (cum laude) at Vermont Law School and his bachelor’s in finance at Siena College. He lives in Needham, Mass., with his wife Kate.