Blackboard Co-Founder Matthew Pittinsky Returns as CEO, Joined by New CTO and Legal Chief

Matthew Pittinsky, who co-founded Blackboard in 1997, is returning as chief executive officer, the company said in a PR Newswire announcement on November 10, 2026. Blackboard also named Jason Simpson as chief technology officer and Beth Lebowitz as chief legal officer.

Pittinsky's Return to the CEO Role

Pittinsky previously served as Blackboard's CEO and executive chairman. He later was CEO of Parchment, a digital credentialing company, and was a tenure-track assistant professor of sociology at Arizona State University, where he remains a visiting scholar. He also serves on the Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board and on the boards of American University, Intellispark, New Classrooms and VitalSource.

Blackboard said Pittinsky's appointment comes as AI technology reshapes how students learn and institutions assess achievement. He described the company's focus as evolving the LMS around the "three Ls": organizing technology around the Learner, supporting Learning, and measuring and recording what was Learned.

"The learning management system is still largely a course management system. AI technologies provide an opportunity to fulfill the promise of what a true learning management system can do," Pittinsky said.

Simpson joined Blackboard as chief technology officer in September, bringing more than 25 years of experience across software engineering, cloud infrastructure, security and large-scale technology transformation. He leads the company's technology strategy, with a focus on platform performance, reliability and security.

Lebowitz brings 15 years of experience in technology law, corporate governance, privacy and commercial contracting. She joins from Unanet, where she was general counsel, and previously advised education technology companies including Parchment and CampusLogic.

Blackboard's Debt-Free Restructuring

Blackboard emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2026 as a debt-free stand-alone company rebranded from Anthology, with approximately $70 million in new financing and a focus on its core Teaching & Learning portfolio, according to akta.pro company records. The company said it enters its next phase as a debt-free company focused exclusively on teaching and learning.

Earlier Blackboard Announcements

Blackboard announced its 10th annual Digital Teaching Symposium, a free virtual event on November 19, 2026, where faculty share practical approaches to teaching, PR Newswire reported in October 2026. In September 2026, Blackboard announced new Ally capabilities for PDF remediation and accessibility reporting to help institutions address ADA Title II requirements, including AI-generated suggestions and auto-tagging, PR Newswire reported.

Leadership Team Details Online

Blackboard said details of its executive leadership team and its vision for teaching and learning are available on its leadership page.