SNHU Launches Enterprise Ventures, Names Jim Chilton EVP to Lead Strategic Investments and Partnerships

Southern New Hampshire University announced today that Jim Chilton '98MBA has been named executive vice president for enterprise ventures, effective June 2026. The newly created role on the Executive Council reflects a strategic priority co-developed by SNHU President Lisa Marsh Ryerson and the SNHU Board of Trustees, and is focused on identifying and pursuing strategic partnerships, investments and acquisitions that strengthen the university and extend its mission. Chilton, a proud SNHU alumnus and former Investment Committee Chair on the Board of Trustees, stepped down from the Board to assume this leadership role.

“We are entering a decade where AI will redefine how people learn, what skills hold value, and how institutions deliver on their promise to learners,” said Jim Chilton, EVP of Enterprise Ventures at SNHU. “SNHU has long understood that a learner's circumstances should never determine their ceiling. I earned my MBA at night while working full time, and I know what it means to need an institution that meets you where you are. No single university can build the future learners deserve alone. It will require partnerships, investments, and bold experimentation with the technologies and organizations shaping what comes next. The institutions that get this right won’t just adopt technology; they’ll align partnerships, platforms, and purpose around the learner. That’s the work of Enterprise Ventures, and I’m honored to lead it.”

An experienced technology executive with a passion for driving growth and transformation, Chilton previously served as Investment Committee Chair on the SNHU Board of Trustees. In his new role on the Executive Council, he will lead SNHU's strategic investments, partnerships and venture incubation efforts, extending the university's reach, deepening its capabilities and accelerating equitable, workforce-relevant outcomes for learners.

"Jim completed his MBA at SNHU at night while working full time, before online options existed. That experience shaped how he thinks about access, perseverance and what our learners are really up against," said Lisa Marsh Ryerson, President and CEO, SNHU. "Identifying, evaluating and executing opportunities and partnerships requires specialized expertise and full-time leadership, and we are thrilled to have Jim lead this work. What I value most is how he pairs his experience with a deep belief in our mission and the transformative power of education."

A six-time CIO and CTO, Chilton most recently served as executive vice president and chief technology officer at Cengage, where he led enterprise-wide digital transformation, launched the company's first AI strategy and concurrently served as general manager of Infosec Institute, Cengage's cybersecurity training and workforce development business.

Drawing on nearly three decades as a technology leader and AI patent holder, Chilton is the author of Enterprise Coherence: In the Age of AI, the first in a planned series on how enterprises align technology, processes and people through AI transformation. Beyond his SNHU role, Chilton serves as senior advisor to Bain Capital Tech Opportunities, advising portfolio companies on AI readiness and technology transformation.

Prior to Cengage, Chilton spent 16 years at Dassault Systèmes/SolidWorks, helping scale the business from startup through acquisition by Dassault. His writing on enterprise transformation has appeared in Harvard Business Review and Forbes, and he is a contributing author at The National CIO Review. He has previously served on the boards of Dreamscape Learn, 1EdTech, and MassHire, and serves as Vice Chair of BostonCIO.

Chilton earned his MBA from Southern New Hampshire University (then New Hampshire College) in 1998. He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Franklin Pierce University and completed the Executive Strategy Program at Babson College. He is a Boston CIO of the Year ORBIE Award recipient and a National CIO of the Year finalist.

Siobhan Lopez is a former journalist, who is now the director of media relations at Southern New Hampshire University.