Chris Lynne Named President of University of Phoenix

Lynne has served as interim president since June

University of Phoenix's Board of Trustees has named Chris Lynne as president of the university. A seasoned executive in higher education, Lynne has served as the university's chief financial officer since November 2018, and as interim president since June 2022.

“The university’s board of trustees has full confidence in Chris’ ability to continue to lead the university,” states Celestino Fernández, Ph.D., chair, University of Phoenix Board of Trustees. “We believe he will continue the important progress that has been made in recent years and support the university’s focus on changing the lives of our students, their families, and future generations through access to higher education.”

Under Lynne’s leadership as interim president, University of Phoenix has continued to progress as a mission-driven, higher education institution, evolving and innovating to help its students succeed in a rapidly changing work and higher education environment. As chief financial officer at University of Phoenix, Lynne worked with teams across the university to help build a values-based culture with a purpose-driven focus that is the foundation of its work to help students succeed.

Before joining the university, Lynne’s professional background includes, most recently, serving as the chief financial officer of Cadence Education, a holding company with more than 200 preschools across the U.S.  Lynne also founded Transcend Education Group and served as president and chief operating officer of Hot Chalk, an online program management company. Prior to that, Lynne served at Northcentral University in a dual chief financial officer and chief operating officer role. During his tenure at Northcentral, Lynne helped the institution achieve a reaffirmation of accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission, led a successful recapitalization effort, and built data-driven operational processes across the student journey that improved outcomes and enhanced the institution’s student-focused culture. Earlier in his career, Lynne also held other financial and operational roles within the higher education industry.

Lynne holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Purdue University and a Master of Business Administration from the Booth School of Business at University of Chicago. Lynne will continue as interim chief financial officer while leading the search for a successor for this role.

About University of Phoenix

University of Phoenix is continually innovating to help working adults enhance their careers in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, and Career Services for Life® help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit phoenix.edu.