Blackboard CEO Bill Ballhaus Joins U.S. Private Sector Delegation Visiting Colombia

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackboard Chairman, CEO and President Bill Ballhaus last week joined an exclusive delegation of U.S. private sector leaders visiting Colombia at the invitation of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Asociación Nacional de Empresarios de Colombia (ANDI). During the visit, the delegation met with senior Colombian and U.S. government officials, including the President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos and Vice President Joe Biden, to discuss the bilateral economic relationship and inaugurate the U.S.-Colombia Advisory Council (USCAC). With the recent approval by Colombia's congress of a historic new peace deal, this event supports the country's plans to drive economic growth.

The USCAC seeks to engage a select group of global business leaders who are committed to enhancing the bilateral commercial partnership by providing strategic inputs to the governments to ensure the economic relationship remains one of the most vibrant in the region. This inaugural USCAC meeting gave the private sectors from both countries the opportunity to share perspectives on the bilateral economic relationship, identify policy issues of importance to their sectors, and recommend ways to effectively collaborate with both governments to foment an environment that promotes greater trade and investment flows between nations. During the event, Ballhaus participated in roundtable discussions on issues of common interest to both governments, such as optimizing trade and investment; promoting innovation and competition; and strengthening the bilateral economic infrastructure.

Blackboard was invited to participate for its leadership in global education and long-standing work with Colombia on helping the country overcome barriers to education.

"I was honored to be a part of this delegation, and I'm thankful for the opportunity to participate in this rich discussion between American and Colombian leaders," said Ballhaus. "Blackboard is proud to be a part of Colombia's efforts to build a strong and inclusive education system. As a leader in emerging markets in Latin America, we look forward to continuing to partner with institutions across the region and the world to help them improve the learning experience for all."

For over a decade, Blackboard has helped to address the educational divide in Colombia and meet the employability needs of its students by partnering with leading Colombian organizations such as The National Service of Learning (Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje - SENA), a public institution focused on developing educational and professional training across the nation, as well as more than 70 education institutions across the country. Blackboard also works closely with key Colombian businesses and public organizations to support their online learning efforts, including the Colombian Ministry of National Defense and The National Police of Colombia. In 2015, the company deepened its impact in the region through the acquisition of Bogotá-based Nivel Siete, a leading Moodle provider, one of the most widely used learning management systems in the world.

To learn more about how Blackboard is making an impact on global education, visit www.blackboard.com.

About Blackboard Inc. Blackboard is a global leader in enterprise technology and innovative solutions that improve the experience of millions of students and learners around the world every day. Blackboard's solutions allow thousands of higher education, K-12, professional, corporate, and government organizations to extend teaching and learning online, facilitate campus commerce and security, and communicate more effectively with their communities. For more information about Blackboard, follow us on Twitter @Blackboard.

CONTACT:Heather Phillips, Blackboard Inc.202-303-9263 or [email protected]

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SOURCE Blackboard Inc.