Skillsoft (SKIL) Appoints Gary W. Ferrera as CFO

Skillsoft Corp. (NYSE: SKIL) a global leader in corporate digital learning, today announced it has appointed Gary W. Ferrera as Chief Financial Officer, effective September 20, 2021, and Eric Boyer as Senior Vice President of Investor Relations, who is expected to join Skillsoft in the fourth quarter of 2021. Ryan Murray, the Company’s Chief Accounting Officer and interim Chief Financial Officer, will continue in his role as Chief Accounting Officer. James Gruskin, who has served as the Company’s interim Head of Investor Relations, will continue in his role as Senior Vice President of Corporate Development.

“We are delighted to welcome these two talented leaders to the Skillsoft team,” said Jeffrey R. Tarr, Skillsoft’s Chief Executive Officer. “Gary is an exceptional finance executive and strategic thought partner whom I’ve worked closely with in the past. His track record of delivering strong financial and operational results as a four-time public company CFO will be instrumental as we embark on our next stage of growth as a public company. Eric’s success leading investor relations for IHS Markit and decade of experience as a sell-side equity analyst position him well to play a key role in enhancing our engagement with analysts and the investment community. These appointments demonstrate our progress in building out our world-class leadership team, and I look forward to working closely with Gary and Eric as we execute on our strategy to drive growth and value creation.”

Mr. Ferrera brings nearly 30 years of global financial leadership, including 16 years as a CFO, previous experience as an investment banker and tax consultant, and a deep understanding of technology-enabled services. He has an established track record of success in driving profitable growth and value creation. He has built and led finance teams across multiple industries, taken two companies public and completed and integrated numerous acquisitions. Most recently, he served as CFO of Cardtronics from 2017 until its recent acquisition by NCR Corporation for $2.5 billion in cash, including debt.

Mr. Boyer brings nearly 20 years of experience in investor relations and sell-side research, a deep knowledge of capital markets and a strong network of relationships in the investment community. He will lead Skillsoft's investor relations function and be a key contributor to Skillsoft’s broader finance, strategy and corporate development organizations. Mr. Boyer has served as Senior Vice President of IHS Markit Ltd. since 2014 and is consistently recognized by Institutional Investor as a leading IR professional. He will join Skillsoft upon completion of IHS Markit’s pending merger with S&P Global.

Mr. Ferrera said, “I am excited to join Skillsoft as it continues to extend its position as a global leader in corporate digital learning. With unparalleled global reach, a strong balance sheet, and financial flexibility, the Company is well-positioned to drive sustained organic and acquired growth in a rapidly growing and highly fragmented industry. I look forward to leveraging my experience and collaborating with Jeff and the entire leadership team to drive profitable growth in the business and create value for Skillsoft shareholders.”

Mr. Boyer added, “Skillsoft is one of the industry's largest and most profitable digital learning companies, and I am thrilled to join the team at a time when the Company is ideally suited to lead the industry in exciting and innovative ways. I look forward to enhancing Skillsoft’s engagement with the investment community and communicating its compelling prospects for growth and value creation to shareholders and the broader investment community.”

You May Also Be Interested In

• IBM tumbles on soft Q1 revenue; announces HashiCorp $6.4bn acquisition
• Blackstone (BX) to Acquire Tropical Smoothie Cafe
• Meta shares dip on softer Q2 revenue guidance, elevated AI spending plans