Walt MacDonald Named Next President & CEO of Educational Testing Service

MacDonald Will Succeed Kurt Landgraf on Jan. 1, 2014, Becoming 6th ETS President

PRINCETON, N.J., Aug. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Board of Trustees of Educational Testing Service (ETS) today selected Walt MacDonald as the next president and CEO of this world-leading non-profit educational measurement and research organization. Currently MacDonald serves as ETS's Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. He will officially begin on Jan. 1, 2014. 

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MacDonald will replace Kurt M. Landgraf, who has served as president since 2000.  During Landgraf's presidency, ETS has expanded its global presence, launched technologically innovative assessments, generated cutting-edge research and become an important voice in education policy. The organization has also created new products to help teachers teach and students learn, and to narrow the academic achievement gaps that disproportionately affect minority and low-income students. Under Landgraf's leadership, ETS has grown to an organization of 6,000 employees operating in 180 countries.

"Walt MacDonald is an immensely talented and highly accomplished executive who has built a record of success across ETS's assessment programs and operational divisions," says Robert S. Murley, ETS Board of Trustees Chair. "From strategic planning, execution and oversight, to product design and innovation, to revenue growth, program management and quality control, he has produced exceptional results, inspired colleagues, and brought great credit to ETS and to the assessment industry. We are confident that with the appointment of MacDonald as President and CEO, the future of ETS and the interests of its employees and stakeholders in the United States and around the world will be in extremely capable hands."

"No one knows ETS better than Walt. He embodies a very rare combination of intellectual horsepower, creative temperament, business know-how, and absolute commitment to and passion for ETS's social mission," says Landgraf.  "I could not be more delighted by this appointment, and I congratulate the Board of Trustees for its judgment, and Walt for his success. I anticipate a very smooth transition."

"I'm incredibly honored by the Board's decision and the confidence it has placed in me," MacDonald says. "I have spent most of my professional life at ETS, and every day I am reminded of how fortunate I am for the opportunity to help improve teaching and learning for people literally all over the world. There are not many organizations where that is possible. I have also been lucky beyond measure to have worked so closely with Kurt Landgraf. He has been a role model and a mentor, and his leadership of ETS has been unparalleled. He has set a high bar."

MacDonald has been at the leadership center of one of the most productive periods in ETS's history. Growth in large-scale assessments, including Common Core projects, is advancing the organization's mission to improve quality and equity in education for all learners, while new products and services, especially in English Language Learning and higher education, have helped ETS enter new markets and support learners around the world. 

During this period ETS has thrived by helping new and existing clients succeed and grow by keeping its major brands, such as the GRE, TOEFL, TOEIC and Praxis programs state-of-the-art; and by delivering Six Sigma quality for all clients and customers. Also during this time, ETS has applied its R&D and operational expertise to new areas, including international large-scale survey assessments, early childhood, high school equivalency, workforce, and student learning outcomes, among others.

About ETS
At ETS, we advance quality and equity in education for people worldwide by creating assessments based on rigorous research. ETS serves individuals, educational institutions and government agencies by providing customized solutions for teacher certification, English language learning, and elementary, secondary and post-secondary education, as well as conducting education research, analysis and policy studies. Founded as a nonprofit in 1947, ETS develops, administers and scores more than 50 million tests annually — including the TOEFL^® and TOEIC^® tests, the GRE^® test and The Praxis Series™ assessments — in more than 180 countries, at over 9,000 locations worldwide. www.ets.org

SOURCE Educational Testing Service