Mike Bisk has been helping universities and corporations expand their institutional reach by launching, supporting and scaling quality online programs for more than 20 years.
Mike was appointed CEO in 2016 after serving as President since 2014. He previously held several leadership positions with Bisk, the nation’s leading online program management company, which has facilitated more than 1 million enrollments for universities including Villanova University, University of South Florida, Florida Institute of Technology and Michigan State University.
Mike is also Founder of Bisk Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on supporting innovations in higher education and corporate learning.
He earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Florida and an MBA Executive Certificate from Tulane University. Mike, his wife Catherine, their son Max and daughter Olivia, live in Tampa.
Rob became General Counsel of Bisk in September 2020, where he undertook responsibility for leading the Bisk Legal and Compliance departments. In 2023, Rob was promoted to Executive Vice President and General Counsel. As a result, Rob currently leads the Partnership, Marketing, Student Success, and Sales teams at Bisk, together with the Legal and Compliance departments.
Prior to Bisk, Rob spent 20 years at Pearson plc, where he supported business operations in North America and served as the head of global governance. Before that, Rob worked at the law firm of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman (formerly Winthrop, Stimson, Putnam & Roberts) handling complex commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions and intellectual property matters for companies in a variety of industries.
Rob holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Emory University and a Juris Doctor from Seton Hall University School of Law. He also serves as an adjunct faculty member at several universities. Rob is from New Jersey, is an avid basketball fan and loves spending time with his wife and two children.
In June 2022, Justin joined Bisk as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and in 2023, he advanced to the role of Executive Vice President and CFO. Justin leads the Technology, Learning & Design, Campus Management and Talent Teams, in addition to the Accounting & Finance Teams. His expansive background spans various industries, and his expertise in financial planning and strategy equips Bisk with the innovative tools to further enhance its delivery of exceptional online learning experiences.
Prior to Bisk, Justin was CFO at Geographic Solutions, Inc., a privately held, high-growth workforce, unemployment insurance, education-to-work, human services, and corrections-to-work software company serving the public and governmental sectors. He was also finance lead for the America’s region of Verifone, Inc., a multinational fintech company, where he successfully led the organization through various acquisitions, divestitures, and a transition from a public company to being held by private equity.
Justin earned both his BS in Finance and MBA from the University of South Florida and is a former Specialist in the Army National Guard. He, his wife and their three boys reside in the Tampa Bay area.
Dr. Brenda Berube joined Bisk in August 2022 as Director, Corporate Partnerships. As an accomplished thought leader, her passion for education and STEM and proven leadership experience will establish new — and enhance current —corporate partnerships to accelerate online learning.
Prior to joining Bisk, Brenda was a district school administrator and partnered with Lockheed Martin, EA Games and Disney to create STEM education videos and associated resources and leveraged her experience as a TEDx speaker in STEM education. She served as the founding chair of the STEM department at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and the Massachusetts Governor’s STEM Advisory Council. Brenda is also a formerly tenured clinical scientist and served as a naval defense contractor, Massachusetts state forensic DNA expert, and worked in Boston-area hospital labs specializing in immunohematology and serology.
Brenda earned an Ed.D. in Leadership, Ed.S. in Educational Leadership, M.S. in Biomedical Technology and Management and an undergraduate degree in Biology. She also holds certifications as a clinical hematology lab scientist and school administrator.
Brenda is passionate about public service and volunteers and supports varies non-profit foundations and private school boards. Originally from Massachusetts, Brenda enjoys spending time with her family in Central Florida.
Andrea (Andie) Derenthal, Manager, University Partnerships, joined Bisk as an Enrollment Coordinator in November 2010. Throughout her tenure, she worked her way into senior leadership, managing teams and processes for degree and certificate programs within the Student Success Team. Andie has assisted in several successful launches of new brands and has a true passion to continue to identify growth opportunities for Bisk, and its students, clients and partners.
Andie secured her BA in Criminal Justice from Florida Tech University in 2017 and later secured her MA in Organizational Leadership from Florida Tech University in 2020. Andie also successfully completed the Women in Leadership professional certificate in 2021 through The University of Notre Dame.
Andie resides in Brandon, Florida, where she manages chaos with a blended family of five humans, one dog, two cats, a box turtle and fish. She enjoys Anna Maria Island, Florida, camping and time with her family.
As Vice President of Campus Management, Demetri wears many hats and is Bisk’s “master planner”.
Demetri has been with Bisk for 30 years. He is a proven leader and commits himself to supporting the entire organization. Through developing a winning team, sustainability, energy management and maintaining an environmentally safe workplace, Demetri is always forward thinking in the ever-changing workplace environment. His style and approach of project management has been instrumental in the growth of Bisk and continues to build on the positive culture he has helped to create.
Demetri is resourceful and respected in our Tampa Bay community and actively involved in numerous professional associations and community outreach. Outside of the office Demetri spends quality time with the family, enjoys biking, gardening and playing music.
Clynton collaborates with Bisk’s university clients to establish partnerships with leading universities and industries in key markets around the world. With a global perspective on higher education, Clynton leads partnership initiatives that focus on both high demand and emerging subjects in domestic markets, with a view to expanding the addressable market through international collaboration.
Clynton has spent over 20 years in education. He has worked with governments and organizations in educational technology across all continents. His senior leadership roles have focused on innovative education solutions in partnership with organizations such as Disney and the BBC, and in school with leading education publishers such as Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Oxford University Press. Higher education collaborations have ranged from English-language training and assessment solutions in the Middle East and China, to media accessibility initiatives with universities that include Columbia, Ohio State University and NYU.
A regular industry speaker, Clynton has spoken at events around the world on topics such as eBook Production and Publishing, Digitization and Data Analysis in the Supply Chain, and The Future of Training and Skills.
Clynton received his BA in Political Science from Victoria University in New Zealand and his MBA from the University of Surrey, United Kingdom.
Mark Kazmierski is Associate Vice President, Talent, and responsible for all aspects of the Talent (Human Resources) functions at Bisk. He leads all HR related functions and practices with company strategy to support short-term and long-term revenue targets, implements enterprise-wide performance management process, leads benefits and wellness strategies to attract and retain top talent and assists with communications strategy to increase internal and external brand awareness. Mark is a trusted and proven business leader that has a passion for people and the HR profession.
Mark has more than 15 years of experience at Bisk and in the higher education industry. He is a Florida native and graduated from the University of South Florida with his Bachelor’s in Business Management. As a life-long learner, Mark expanded his educational credentials with a Master of Science in Human Resources Development from Villanova University. He holds the SHRM-SCP certification and is an active contributor in the HR community.
Sam Kerce, Vice President, Partnerships, joined Bisk in April 2000. She will lead a team responsible for helping university partners accelerate their online learning while identifying growth opportunities among all existing partners.
Sam’s two decade career at Bisk reflects operational excellence, continual advancement, deep subject matter expertise and increased responsibility. Her knowledge and expertise span multiple areas, and Sam is passionate about building and implementing strong teams and processes that produce positive student experiences.
Sam graduated from Saint Leo University with a degree in Business Administration and has completed Professional Development Certificates in Leadership and Leading Teams and Organizations from the University of Notre Dame. Sam resides in Lithia, where she enjoys spending time with her 3 sons and attending their high school track matches and football games, nature hikes and being a dog mom to her energetic toy poodle Dexter.
Dr. Jennifer King was appointed to Vice President, Academic Success, in September 2022 and oversees the academic success of university partners while providing expertise to corporations and associations.
Dr. King is a formerly tenured professor, academic dean and author who has been in higher education for more than two decades. Prior to joining Bisk in 2018, she served more than a decade as associate professor and assistant dean for Florida Southern College. More recently, she ran a consulting practice centered around education technology.
She earned her PhD in Instructional Technology and Educational Tests & Measurement from University of South Florida College of Education and an undergrad from New York University. Her doctorate has made her a thought leader in online and remote instruction and learning.
Dr. King grew up an Army brat and traveled the world with her military family. She eventually settled in her hometown of Hampton, Virginia. She is married to Peter, her husband of 25 years, and has two college-aged sons — both currently engaged in online and remote learning. Dr. King enjoys exercise and exploring new food experiences as a hobby and then replicating them in her own kitchen!
Joseph Lapin joined Bisk and was appointed Vice President, Marketing, in November 2022. Joe is an innovative leader whose storytelling, game-changing design work and diverse marketing background will lead Bisk’s talented team of marketers, creatives and specialists.
Prior to joining Bisk, Joe was Partner and Vice President of Marketing and Brand Strategy at Circa Interactive — a startup that was acquired by Archer Education in 2020 — where he helped build a digital marketing company in higher education that was known for storytelling and leveraging faculty expertise as part of the broader marketing strategy. At Circa and Archer, he built brand campaigns and go-to-market strategies for over 80 higher-ed institutions and ed-tech companies, including Harvard Kennedy School, American University’s School of Education, Northwestern University and more.
Joe is also a former adjunct professor and experienced writer, with bylines in Fast Company, Los Angeles Times and more. He has a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Florida International University and recently completed Stanford University’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation program. Originally from Massachusetts, Joe recently relocated from San Diego, California, to Amelia Island, Florida, with his wife and two young kids. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, writing, and playing music.
Jordan Medlen is Bisk’s Vice President of Technology and joined Bisk in 2012.
Jordan came to Bisk from Core4 Technologies LLC, which was his consulting business and from DC74, a Charlotte, NC based data center and hosting provider, where he was the part-time Chief Technology Officer. Prior to that he was the Chief Technology Officer and Chief Network Engineer of Sago Networks where he oversaw the management of two large data centers, hosting operations, multi-state fiber optic network and large business to business wireless broadband networks. Jordan’s technical career began at WMOR-TV Channel 32 as a Master Control Technician, eventually becoming an Assistant Broadcast Engineer and Master Control Supervisor.
Jordan has his AS, Electronics and Computer Engineering Technology, from the Tampa Technical Institute.
Dean Rustin in his role as Senior Vice President of Student Success is committed to the student experience through planning, overseeing, organizing and leading all strategic efforts of our Enrollment Center performance goals and initiatives. Dean defines student success in four critical areas – enrollment, student support, technology and corporate learning – all of which spans the student journey from inquiry to graduation. His team specializes in collaborating with Bisk’s university partners to ensure that prospective students have all the support they need to succeed and have a positive experience from start to finish.
Prior to joining Bisk, Dean spent 25 years in various leadership roles in the education and healthcare industry, most recently as Division Senior Director within online allied healthcare education. Prior to that, Dean served in the 82nd Airborne Division for the U.S. Army.
Dean holds a Bachelor of Science in Technical Management from DeVry University and is currently earning his Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Florida Tech. He also holds a certificate in Leadership Effectiveness from Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business. Dean is a Certified Scrum Product Owner and a graduate of Leadership Tampa 2017.
Dean and his wife have been married for 27 years and have two children. In his free time, you can find him scuba diving, skydiving, boating, cheering on the Georgia Bulldogs and playing with his three golden retrievers (Winston, Tundra and Sailor).
Matt Sargent is a lifelong learner who has 20 years’ experience in sales and leadership roles and expertise in creating a best-in-class customer experience. As Director, Workforce and Education, he is responsible for consulting with our clients to develop initiatives for corporations to provide flexible, online learning for their employees to meet their current and future needs.
Matt received his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Iowa. While there, he spent a year studying abroad at the University of London. He also has a Master of Business Administration from the University of South Florida.
Matt immerses himself in Bisk’s courses and programs, giving him a first-hand experience to better represent university partners in the marketplace. He has received certificates in Supply Chain Management, Project Management, and Leadership & Management. He was also certified as a Master Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma.
Matt lives in the Tampa Bay area with his wife and two kids. During his free time, he is involved in his kids’ activities as well as community social, volunteer and fundraising opportunities.
Chris Shindelbower joined Bisk in April 2020 as Associate Vice President, Marketing. Chris oversees the cross-functional Marketing team, which services Bisk partners with innovative solutions to attract, engage and retain learners along their educational journey.
Chris is a multifaceted marketing and creative professional with over 20 years of experience and a proven track record of building high-performance teams across creative, marketing and technology functions. His broad spectrum of expertise spans mediums including video, interactive development, adtech and martech platforms. His ability to strategize, develop and manage is crucial to guiding Bisk’s marketing capabilities in such an evolving and dynamic industry. He joined Bisk for the immense opportunity it provides to make a difference in people’s lives by helping them to pursue their educational dreams.
Chris graduated from The Academy of Design and Technology with a degree in Digital & Interactive Media. He is originally from the sunny Tampa Bay Area in Florida, where he currently lives with his wife and twin boys. He enjoys spending quality time with his family and taking advantage of all the area has to offer – outside of storm season.
Dr. Richard Sites, Senior Vice President, Learning Design is responsible for creating engaging, student-centered courses for degree, certificate, and corporate training programs. With more than 25 years of experience in the field, he bases his process around three central pillars—agile development, impactful design, and meaningful collaboration with institutional partners.
Prior to joining Bisk, Dr. Sites spent 25 years helping institutions and corporations design and implement instructional design practices to create effective, interactive learning content. His career spans from faculty member at the University of West Florida to many corporate executive positions in learning design.
Dr. Sites is passionate about bringing together instructional design, educational pedagogy, design thinking and learning-science best practices to ensure meaningful learning experiences.
He holds a Doctor of Education in Curriculum, Instruction and Instructional Technology, a Master of Education in Educational Leadership/Educational Training and Management, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of West Florida.
Dr. Sites is the author of several books and articles on learning design and is a regular lecturer and keynote speaker at industry events. He is passionate about volunteering, enjoys fishing in beautiful Tampa Bay and spending time with his wife Kara and their chihuahua Lola.
Melissa Stec joined Bisk in August 2022 as Director of University Partnerships. Melissa is an accomplished higher education professional with over 20 years of experience leading teams in enrollment, student support services and curriculum development.
Having previously launched new university partners globally, Melissa brings to Bisk vast Online Program Management (OPM) experience. She has a proven track record of working with traditional and online institutions and University leaders to develop seamless student experiences to increase student retention and graduation rates. Melissa has also served as a faculty member for the past 15 years teaching a variety of undergraduate business courses.
Melissa earned her MBA from Benedictine University and is certified Six Sigma Green Belt. She resides in Arizona with her husband of 15 years and enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling and making ice cream in her spare time.