OUR LEADERSHIP
International Education Corporation is led by an accomplished team of educators and executives with broad experience in academics, business, and organizational leadership. IEC was founded upon the vision of making post-secondary career training and education accessible in the communities we serve. For over 40 years, IEC and its subsidiaries have been driving personal and community transformation by empowering students to make a positive and enduring life change. Student success is at the heart of everything we do, led by a passionate team of executives.
Shoukry Tiab
Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Tiab is a senior executive with more than 25 years of experience in operating and expanding businesses and services for the healthcare, education and training sectors. Prior to joining IEC in 2011, he was the Chief Information Officer for Jenny Craig International, a globally-recognized weight management company. His past experience in the education field includes serving as Chief Information Officer for Alliant International University, where he was responsible for the internal IT support process and services, including student record management systems, education web delivery, eLearning and web-integrated video conferencing. From October 2000 through June 2006, Mr. Tiab served as the Chief Information Officer for New Horizons Computer Learning Centers. During this time he designed and deployed global education systems, including Online Live and Online Anytime. He also implemented a Learning Management System tracking the training of more than one million students.
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Mr. Tiab holds a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering with a specialization in Systems Engineering from California State University, Fullerton and a Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering from Cairo University.
Joanna Gut-Vargas
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Ms. Gut-Vargas is an experienced finance and accounting executive with more than 15 years of experience within the education and real estate sectors. Prior to joining IEC in 2016 she worked for Carrington Colleges where she managed accounting and student accounts. Other previous experience includes serving as Accounting Supervisor and an Internal Auditor at Title Resource Group – Realogy Inc division, a real estate service company with over $5 billion in revenue. She was responsible for all aspects of accounting, managing internal and SOX audits, and due diligence audits of acquisition assets.
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Joanna earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration specializing in Accounting from National Louis University in Chicago, an MBA at Keller Graduate School of Management, and a Master of Science degree at Keller Graduate School of Management.
Aaron Mortensen
Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Mr. Mortensen is an accomplished attorney with over 15 years of complex litigation and in-house counsel experience. Prior to joining IEC in 2013, Aaron was an attorney at Grant, Genovese & Baratta LLP. In private practice, he oversaw matters that included complex tort, business, and real estate law, trademark and copyright litigation, product liability litigation, insurance coverage and regulation, and writs and appeals.
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Aaron has extensive trial and appellate court experience, arguing before the California Courts of Appeal and is published by the California Supreme Court. He earned his Juris Doctorate degree at Ohio State University's Moritz College of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley.
Christa Jones
Senior Vice President of Operations
Ms. Jones joined IEC in 2018. She has served in multiple leadership roles over the past 25+ years in the post-secondary education sector. Prior to joining IEC, she served as Vice President of New Business Development for Alta Colleges, Chief Operating Officer for American Career College and West Coast University, and as Chief Executive Officer for Brookline College. Christa earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Southern Illinois University. Most of all, Christa has a passion for serving students and wants to see each of them succeed.
Joan Yourstone
Senior Vice President of Career Services
Ms. Yourstone is a passionate leader with over 20 years of significant experience in career education, helping students change their lives and build futures they can be proud of. Before joining IEC in 2016, she was an executive at other large, multisite, distributed systems of post-secondary career education. Joan started her career in higher education serving as Director of Education and she began her long-standing passion for career services as a Career Services Director, developing professional development tools and processes to serve the needs of students and graduates. Joan has expertise and experience with diploma as well as degree-level programs in the career education field. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Darcy Schnuth
Vice President of Student Finance & Records Management
Ms. Schnuth joined IEC in 2016 as the Director of Student Finance and was promoted to her current role in March 2022. She brings over 20 years of experience in higher education to IEC, starting her career in admissions at an international, multi-site education provider where she eventually worked her way up to Regional Director of Finance, overseeing 17 locations. Darcy earned an Associate degree in Specialized Business – Accounting, a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and Finance, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Kaplan University.
Christopher Drozd
Vice President of Admissions
Christopher Drozd brings over 21 years of invaluable experience in Higher Education to his role as Vice President of Admissions at IEC. Christopher launched his career with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from California State University in San Marcos and he served as an Admissions Representative at a Microsoft Certified Training Center in Brea. Quickly recognized for his exceptional skills and dedication, his next tenure at Kaplan Higher Education saw him making significant contributions as Director of Admissions and later as Regional Vice President of Admissions, where he was deeply involved in supporting both students and staff alike. Transitioning to Summit College, Christopher served as Vice President of Admissions and Marketing, spearheading the expansion of program offerings beyond nursing to include a comprehensive range of skilled trade programs. Subsequently, Christopher's expertise caught the attention of Education Corporation of America, where he was entrusted with the management of admissions teams for their Golf Academy of America brand, further solidifying his reputation as a leader in the field. In 2018, Christopher joined IEC as Regional Vice President of Admissions, where he cultivated a track record of success. In April 2024, he was promoted to the position of Vice President of Admissions where he continues as a driving force behind the continued growth and success of IEC's admissions initiatives.
Lynn Mulherin
Vice President of Government Relations
Lynn Mulherin is a senior executive with more than 25 years of progressive experience in the post-secondary education sector. She joined IEC in October 2021. Prior to IEC, Lynn’s experience includes opening and managing markets for a leading multi-site and online university as a vice president, and management experience with the Florida Commission for Independent Education (CIE) as a Commissioner. Three consecutive governors appointed her in that role to advance a nonpartisan perspective on the growth, regulatory and risk management principles that support career education. Her particular focus has been on first-generation, adult college learners in every stage of the student lifecycle, preparing them for purposeful and essential careers.
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Lynn holds a Master of Arts in Organizational Management from University of Phoenix and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Wroxton College in England.
Sandra Gracia
Vice President of Regulatory Compliance
With over two decades of dedicated service in higher education, Ms. Gracia is a seasoned professional renowned for her expertise and leadership. Joining IEC in 2001 as an instructor, she has navigated a dynamic career trajectory, assuming pivotal roles such as Director of Career Services, Director of Education, Regional Director of Education, Campus Executive Director, Campus President, and Executive Director of Regulatory Compliance. As the Vice President of Regulatory Compliance, she plays a central role in upholding IEC's commitment to excellence and adherence to all regulatory standards. Her strategic vision and proactive initiatives have not only ensured compliance but have also spearheaded transformative improvements across the organization. Ms. Gracia's profound institutional knowledge and unwavering dedication make her an indispensable asset in driving continuous enhancement and maintaining IEC's position as a leader in higher education. Her leadership ensures that IEC operates at the peak of excellence, setting industry benchmarks and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
Tony Wietek
Vice President of Academic Affairs
Since joining IEC in 2022, Tony has made an indelible mark with his extensive expertise in postsecondary career education and his unwavering commitment to academic excellence. Tony brings to this role a wealth of experience garnered both from his tenure at IEC on the education team, as well as experience at several national, multi-site school groups. His deep understanding of the educational landscape and his strategic vision have been instrumental in enhancing our academic programs and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
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Tony’s career has spanned various aspects of post-secondary education in academic operations, career services, and training and development. He has demonstrated great success in strengthening academic teams through development, designing, and delivering instructional training programs. Prior to IEC, Tony has held positions such as Campus President, Group Director of Retention, Director of Instructor Development with Kaplan Higher Education and Corporate Director of Instruction with San Joaquin Valley College. He holds a Master of Arts in Teaching with National-Louis University, Master of Business Administration, Marketing and Human Resources from Keller Graduate School and a Bachelor of Arts, Sociology and Psychology from Kalamazoo College.
Esther Duong
Vice President of Marketing
Esther Duong is a seasoned marketing executive with over 15 years of professional experience. Her journey with IEC has been marked by her exceptional ability in driving growth, elevating brands, and building a customer journey that helps students be empowered to succeed and build a new career. She first joined IEC as the Senior Director of Marketing in 2016, followed by Executive Director of Marketing in 2018, and then becoming Vice President of Marketing in 2024. Throughout her career, Esther has specialized in online and offline media channel experience across a variety of industries including Edu, Tech, Retail, Medical and Financial. She has demonstrated proven abilities in performance marketing and brand building with an insatiable enthusiasm for technology, education, people, the customer journey, digital media and analytics.
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Prior to IEC, Esther started her career as a media planner and buyer for large brands like Paramount TV at Mediaspot. She was a strategist at Google for startup ads products, and led Director roles at other large, multisite, distributed systems of post-secondary career education. She earned a Bachelor of Science, Business Management, Management Information & Decision Systems from Case Western Reserve University and has a Fine Arts minor in Studio Arts.
David Movsesian
Regional Vice President of Operations, Southwest
David Movsesian brings a wealth of experience in post-secondary education to IEC with over 18 years in the sector. He joined the team in 2019 and now serves as the Regional Vice President of Operations for the Southwest Region. Mr. Movsesian started as the Campus President of the UEI College Chula Vista campus. Under his leadership, the campus was named IEC’s Campus of the Year in both 2021 and 2022. Prior to joining IEC, Mr. Movsesian held the roles of Lead Instructor, Director of Education, Director of Operations, and Campus President with Kaplan Higher Education and later Brightwood College. Mr. Movsesian earned his Bachelor’s in Business Administration at the University of Southern California and his Juris Doctor at Pepperdine School of Law.
Jackie Azizyan
Regional Vice President of Operations, Pacific
Jackie Azizyan boasts over three decades of unwavering dedication to the UEI College and the IEC community. A native of Armenia, Jackie recognized early on the transformative power of education and a nurturing environment in shaping one's career trajectory. Her journey with UEI began in 1995 when she enrolled in the Business Office Administration program. This decision marked the beginning of a lifelong commitment to UEI's mission, as Jackie transitioned from a student to employee receptionist, then advancing steadily through roles such as Admission Representative, Director of Admissions and Education, and ultimately assuming Campus President at the Encino and Reseda campuses. Throughout her tenure, Jackie has witnessed countless students experience profound transformations, seizing newfound opportunities and altering the course of their lives. Her passion for making a tangible difference in students' lives remains unparalleled, driving her relentless pursuit of excellence within the UEI community. Now, as the Regional Vice President of Operations for the Pacific Region, Jackie's influence extends even further, touching the lives of students, colleagues, and UEI campuses across a broader spectrum.
