Eilif Serck-Hanssen

Eilif Serck-Hanssen has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Laureate Education, Inc. since January 1, 2018, and as a member of the corporate executive team since joining the company in 2008, holding positions including Chief Financial Officer, Chief Administrative Officer, and Executive Vice President.

Eilif’s time as Chief Executive Officer has been defined by transformation. Eilif was steward of a strategic review process which resulted in the successful sale and transfer of control of over $5 billion in assets, in addition to leading the company’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic which caused unprecedented disruption to higher education.

Today, Laureate’s nearly 30,000 employees are focused on serving over 440,000 students across Mexico and Peru, while continuing to expand access to quality higher education. Under Eilif’s leadership, Laureate has successfully incubated multiple EdTech ventures, has embarked on a process of digital transformation, and has delivered value for shareholders.

Before joining Laureate, Eilif had a successful career in the airline industry. He served as Chief Financial Officer and President of International Operations at XOJET, Inc., and was part of the team that founded premium airline, Eos Airlines, Inc., where he served Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Prior to his time with Eos Airlines, Eilif served in several executive positions at US Airways, Inc. (now American Airlines, Inc.) and Northwest Airlines, Inc. (now Delta Airlines, Inc.), including Senior Vice President and Treasurer of US Airways, Inc. Prior to joining the airline industry, Eilif spent over five years with PepsiCo, Inc. in various international locations, and three years with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (formerly Coopers & Lybrand Deloitte) in London.  

Eilif holds an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, a B.A. in Management Science from the University of Kent at Canterbury (United Kingdom), and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Western Norway University of Applied Sciences.