Global team - Global School Management

Meet our Global Leadership Team

Ron Packard

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Ron Packard is a visionary educator, entrepreneur, and the author of Education Transformation. He founded Global School Management to expand access and operational excellence across global education systems.

Ron previously founded and was CEO of K12 Inc., where he grew the company from an idea to nearly $1B in revenue, making it one of the largest education companies in the world. Under his leadership, revenue compounded at nearly 80%. Prior to K12, he was CEO of Knowledge Schools and Knowledge Learning Corporation, and Vice President at Knowledge Universe, one of the largest early childhood education providers in the U.S.

He has also played a pivotal role in investments across the education sector, including LearnNow, Children’s School USA, LeapFrog, TEC, and Children’s Discovery Center. Earlier in his career, Ron worked in mergers and acquisitions at Goldman Sachs and served clients at McKinsey & Company.

Ron’s leadership has been recognized with the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award (IT Services, Greater Washington), the Education Industry Association’s James P. Boyle Leadership Award, and a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He has served on numerous corporate boards including the U.S. Department of Defense’s Education Advisory Committee and the Digital Learning Council, and is currently on the board of GoStudent, eDynamic Learning, and Harvard Apparatus Regenerative Technolog

Ron holds a B.A. and B.S. with honors from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MBA from the University of Chicago with honors.

Maria Szalay

Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer

Maria Szalay brings over 25 years of experience in strategy, operations, and corporate development across the education and consulting sectors. As Co-Founder and COO of Global School Management, she has been instrumental in scaling high-performing education platforms worldwide.

Maria joined K12 Inc. in 2000 as one of its earliest employees and played a critical role in growing the company from pre-revenue startup to a $900M public education leader. Over her tenure, she led teams across product development, operations, strategy, and corporate development.

Prior to K12, Maria served as a practice director at Operon Partners, where she led consulting engagements focused on e-business transformation and product strategy. She also launched and scaled online services at Telecom New Zealand and spent eight years at KPMG, advising clients on systems implementations, product marketing, and service launches. She began her career at Shearson Lehman.

Maria holds a BS and BA from Virginia Tech and an MBA from American University.

Eric Waller

Chief Technology Officer

Eric Waller is an experienced CTO and CIO with a deep background in software engineering, IT architecture, and systems design. He leads product strategy and technology development across GSM’s proprietary and commercial platforms, driving scalable solutions for school operations and instructional delivery.

Over his career, Eric has developed commercial products, business and scientific applications, and managed data center operations. He brings a unique blend of engineering expertise and product vision focused on delivering intuitive, scalable experiences for enterprise and consumer users alike.

Brandon Krueger

Chief Marketing Officer

Brandon Krueger brings over 20 years of experience in marketing and operations, with more than a decade focused on the education sector. As Chief Marketing Officer at GSM, he leads strategy and execution across brand, enrollment, and digital engagement.

Previously, Brandon served as Chief Marketing Officer at Delta Career Education Corporation and as Senior Vice President of Marketing at K12 Inc., where he led national campaigns and growth initiatives for nearly a decade. Earlier in his career, he held operational roles at America Online, American Express, and Arthur Andersen LLP.

Brandon began his career as a Certified Public Accountant. He holds an MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia and a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, with concentrations in Finance and Accounting.

Steve Goetzinger

Senior Vice President, Finance & Controller

Steve Goetzinger brings broad expertise in financial management, with deep experience across the education, technology, services, and manufacturing sectors. As SVP of Finance and Controller at GSM, he oversees all aspects of accounting, reporting, and fiscal operations for a fast-growing global education portfolio.

Steve has led financial strategy for multiple high-growth companies, with specialized expertise in GAAP accounting, SEC reporting, IPO readiness, M&A, financial analysis, and risk management. He also brings extensive experience in technical accounting, equity administration, and systems implementation.

A hands-on financial leader, Steve supports sustainable scale through accuracy, insight, and operational alignment.

Mary Gifford

Executive Vice President of Business Development and New Initiatives

Mary Gifford brings more than three decades of experience in education policy and reform, including 25 years focused on digital and online learning.

Throughout her career, Mary has launched dozens of online schools and programs across full-time, part-time, and hybrid models. Her work spans district, charter, and private school environments, as well as partnerships with education technology companies and state departments of education. Over the past two decades, she has contributed to the development of online instructional policy and regulation in more than 40 states.

Mary is driven by the belief that online learning is essential to ensuring students have access to high-quality, diverse educational options—regardless of zip code, learning style, or background. Her work focuses on building programs that can adapt to individual student needs while remaining responsive to state and local requirements, public policy structures, family priorities, and economic realities. She believes students who complete online coursework should be prepared to succeed in any future path they choose.

Based in Arizona, Mary serves on the State Board of Education’s Online Instruction Technical Advisory Board and volunteers as chair of a charter school network operating more than a dozen schools, including Arizona’s only school dedicated to serving students experiencing homelessness. She previously served as a gubernatorial appointee to the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools, on the board of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, and on the Illinois Virtual Learning Task Force. Her prior executive leadership roles include positions at K12 Inc. (Stride), StrongMind, and Learning Network.