Dr. Mary Ellen Caro became president and chief executive officer of Peirce College on April 16, 2018. She is the first woman to hold this role.

Dr. Caro is an experienced higher education leader and business executive with extensive knowledge in cross-sector partnerships, workforce development, and addressing the needs of working adult learners. As an advocate for an outcomes-focused academic environment, Dr. Caro’s emphasis is on building the right pathways, developing the appropriate services, and securing the best partnerships to help students attain and leverage their degrees for a successful career.

Dr. Caro previously served in myriad senior executive roles during her 14-year service at Thomas Edison State University in Trenton, N.J., where she was responsible for a wide range of functions, including student affairs; strategic corporate and military partnerships; marketing; and enrollment management. Dr. Caro was the founding Dean of the School of Business and Management.

Before joining higher education, Dr. Caro built an impressive 25-year career at AT&T, where she progressed through several executive positions, culminating in several VP and Officer positions managing a global P&L portfolio. Throughout her AT&T career, the themes of visionary leadership and managing strategy-driven organizational change underscored her experience. Recognition of Dr. Caro’s contributions was demonstrated by the AT&T Trailblazer award and various other leadership performance awards. Since joining Peirce, Dr. Caro has led the College through the development of a three year Strategic Plan, focused on continuing transformation to meet the needs of adult learners. Dr. Caro is an active leader in many of Philadelphia’s key organizations, including as a member of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce; Regional Alliance of College Presidents and CEOs; Forum of Executive Women; Main Line Chamber of Commerce; Sunday Breakfast Club; Advisory Committee for Philadelphia’s Fueling the Talent Pipeline Engine; and Board member of the Economy League.

Dr. Caro completed her doctorate in Higher Education Management at the University of Pennsylvania, focusing her dissertation on partnerships between business and higher education. In addition, she earned a Master of Science in Management from Stanford University, where she was an AT&T Sloan Fellow; a Master of Science in Applied Statistics from Rutgers University; and a Bachelor of Arts from the College of Saint Elizabeth, where she majored in Mathematics and Sociology.