SNHU Alumnus Joins Board of Trustees

At this month’s board meeting, the Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) Board of Trustees elected and welcomed a new member whose connection to the university began in the 1990’s with his own graduate studies. Jim Chilton '98MBA, an experienced technology executive with a passion for driving growth and transformation, was appointed to the Board unanimously. Chilton currently serves as chief technology officer at Cengage Group, one of the world’s largest edtech companies that provides quality digital products and services to millions of students to help advance their education and careers and improve their lives.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jim and the unique perspective he will bring to the Board, not only as an experienced leader in education technology but also as an SNHU alumnus,” said Winnie Lerner, Board Chair, SNHU Board of Trustees. “Jim has a long history of leveraging his experience and network to influence the industry and I look forward to serving with him as SNHU continues to grow and thrive.”

“Earning my MBA at SNHU was a transformative experience and I am honored to be joining the Board of Trustees,” Chilton said. “I’ve been proud to stay connected to the university over the years as I watched SNHU grow into an industry leader. Much of my work looks beyond the boundaries of traditional learning experiences and I look forward to contributing to the university’s continued innovation and impact on higher education.”

In his current role as CTO of Cengage Group, Chilton leads innovation efforts and is responsible for overseeing all internal business systems, as well as system infrastructure, cybersecurity and technology risk, architecture and portfolio management.  Prior to that role, he served Cengage Group as CIO since 2017 where he led a comprehensive assessment and transformation of the Global Technology Solutions team to develop best practices, improve operations and foster innovation that drives business growth. Chilton has an extensive background and deep expertise in technology optimization. Before joining Cengage Group, Jim held executive leadership positions at a broad range of enterprise software, high-tech, and education companies, including Dassault Systèmes and SolidWorks.

Deeply committed to giving back to the industry and community, Chilton serves as an advisor and board member for several organizations including MassHire and 1EdTech, among others. Jim also serves as a board member for Dreamscape Learn, a VR technology company focused on developing immersive experiences for the classroom.

“We are so proud to call Jim an SNHU alumnus and it’s wonderful to have him return to his roots to serve on our Board,” said Lisa Marsh Ryerson, President, SNHU. “Jim is a forward-thinking leader whose values are aligned with SNHU’s mission and vision. As we continue to innovate and evolve in service of our learners, I know Jim’s deep experience in using technology to support learning will help us make data-driven decisions.”

Like many SNHU learners, Chilton’s own higher education journey included balancing a full-time job with late-night study sessions. He worked during the day and attended college at night, earning his MBA from New Hampshire College (now Southern New Hampshire University) in 1998. He previously earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Franklin Pierce University. Chilton received the 2020 Inspire CIO of the Year/Boston ORBIE award and has been a finalist for the National Inspire CIO of the Year ORBIE Award in 2023 and 2024. He’s also been a multi-year recipient of the Apprenti Industry award and HMG Global Leadership award.

Siobhan Lopez is a former journalist, who is now the director of media relations at Southern New Hampshire University.