Leadership
Executive Management Team
Dr. John G. Sperling is the founder of Apollo Group, Inc. Dr. Sperling was appointed Executive Chairman of the Board in 2008; he had been Acting Executive Chairman since January of 2006. Dr. Sperling was the Chairman of the Board of Directors from its inception until June 2004, was President of Apollo Group, Inc. until February 1998 and Chief Executive Officer of Apollo Group, Inc. until August 2001. Prior to his involvement with Apollo Group, Inc., from 1961 to 1973, Dr. Sperling was a professor of Humanities at San Jose State University where he was the Director of the Right to Read Project and the Director of the NSF Cooperative College-School Science Program in Economics. At various times from 1955 to 1961, Dr. Sperling was a member of the faculty at the University of Maryland, Ohio State University, and Northern Illinois University. Dr. Sperling received his Ph.D. from Cambridge University, a Masters of Arts from the University of California at Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Arts from Reed College. Dr. Sperling is the father of Peter V. Sperling.
Peter V. Sperling has been with Apollo Group since 1983. Mr. Sperling was appointed Vice Chairman of the board of directors in June 2008. Mr. Sperling was a Senior Vice President of Apollo Group from June 1998 to December 2007 and Secretary from June 2006 to December 2007. Mr. Sperling was the Vice President of Administration from 1992 to June 1998 and the Secretary and Treasurer of Apollo Group, Inc. from 1988 to January 2003. From 1987 to 1992, Mr. Sperling was Director of Operations at Apollo Education Corporation. From 1983 to 1987, Mr. Sperling was Director of Management Information Services of Apollo Group. Mr. Sperling received his Masters of Business Administration from University of Phoenix and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Mr. Sperling is the son of John G. Sperling.
Gregory W. Cappelli
Director, Chief Executive Officer
Apollo Group, Inc.
Chairman, Apollo Global, Inc.
Gregory Cappelli serves as Chief Executive Officer of Apollo Group and Chairman of Apollo Global. Before joining Apollo Group in 2007, Mr. Cappelli spent ten years as a research analyst for Credit Suisse, where he served as Managing Director and Senior Research Analyst and founded the Credit Suisse Global Services Team. He also held the position of Vice President and Senior Research Analyst at ABN AMRO.
Mr. Cappelli received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Indiana University and his Master of Business Administration from the Brennan School of Business at Dominican University. Mr. Cappelli serves on the Board of Governors of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the board of trustees for Dominican University. He is a past long-time board member of Everybody Wins!, New York.
Curtis Uehlein
Acting Chief Operating Officer
Apollo Group, Inc.
President, Apollo Global, Inc.
Curt Uehlein serves as Acting Chief Operating Officer of Apollo Group and President of Apollo Global. His responsibilities include executive leadership of Apollo Global’s four market-leading international business units: West (U.S.), BPP (U.K.), UNIACC (Chile) and ULA (Mexico). Prior to joining Apollo Global in 2011, Mr. Uehlein was President & COO of Wall Street Institute International, a Carlyle Company.
Prior to joining WSI, he was CEO of Provant Inc., a training company with 1,500 employees focused on the leadership and professional development market. Previously Mr. Uehlein had worked for IBM in numerous capacities. His last assignment was General Manager of IBM’s Learning Services Division, a division of IBM Global Services.
Mr. Uehlein received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Shippensburg University. He is currently a board member and Vice Chairman of the Lakes Region United Way.
Joseph D’Amico serves as Executive Vice President and Advisor to the CEO of Apollo Group. Prior to this role, he served as President, Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Before joining Apollo Group, Mr. D’Amico was a senior managing director at FTI Palladium Partners, as well as a partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Mr. D’Amico received his Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from the University of Illinois and his Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago. He serves on the Arizona Chamber of Commerce board of directors and the Phoenix Art Museum board of trustees.
Terri Bishop serves as Executive Vice President of Academic Strategy, Senior Advisor to the CEO and serves on the Board of Apollo Group. She joined Apollo in 1982 and has held senior roles in government and public affairs, curriculum and product development, and institutional research. In 1989, she became the founding director of the University of Phoenix Online campus.
Bishop attended the California community and California state university systems and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business and a Master of Arts in Human Relations and Organizational Management from University of Phoenix. She was a founding director of the Latino Policy Coalition, a national non-profit consortium of Latino research organizations and scholars. In January 2012, Bishop was appointed to the California Student Aid Commission by Governor Jerry Brown.
Senior Leadership
Robert Wrubel serves as Chief Innovation Officer and Executive Vice President at Apollo Group. His responsibilities include overseeing Apollo Product Technology, Apollo Information Technology and Operations as well as the Apollo Marketing Group. Prior to this role, he served as Chief Marketing and Product Development Officer (2009 to 2011), Senior Vice President of Marketing (2008 to 2009) and CEO of Aptimus, Inc., which was acquired by the Apollo Group in 2007 (2005 to 2008). Before joining Aptimus, he served as CEO of Yoga Works (2003 to 2005), Entrepreneur in Residence at Highland Capital (2001 to 2002), Founding CEO and President of Ask Jeeves (1998 to 2001), and COO of Knowledge Adventure (1992 to 1998).
Mark Brenner
Chief of Staff to the CEO
Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications and External Affairs
Apollo Group, Inc.
Mark Brenner serves as Chief of Staff to the CEO and Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications and External Affairs of Apollo Group. His responsibilities include directing all activities related to external communications on behalf of Apollo Group and its subsidiaries. Prior to joining the organization in 2010, Mr. Brenner served as Vice Chairman of the Board and Executive Officer of College Loan Corporation. He also has held senior management positions with Fernwood Capital Management, Marshall Morgan LLC and William R. Hough & Co. Previously, Mr. Brenner served as Director of Legislative Affairs and General Counsel for the Education Finance Committee, held staff positions with the House Education and the Workforce Committee and the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. He also served as an advisor to New York State Senate Majority Leader Ralph Mariano (R-NY).
Mr. Brenner received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Siena College, as well as a Juris Doctor degree from Albany Law School, and currently serves on the national board of directors of Junior Achievement.
Jeff Langenbach
Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer
Apollo Group
Vice Chairman, Apollo Global
Jeff Langenbach serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at Apollo Group. His responsibilities include leading key Apollo Group support services. He also serves as Vice Chairman of Apollo Global. Prior to this role, he served as the head of Corporate Development and President of Apollo Global. Before joining Apollo Group, he served as Director of Investment Banking at Credit Suisse and as Vice President, Investment Banking, at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette.
Mr. Langenbach received his Bachelor of Arts in Finance and International Business from the University of Wisconsin (cum laude) and his Master of Management (Dean’s List) from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. He volunteers with Children’s Memorial Hospital, Teach for America and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Sean Martin serves as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Apollo Group. Prior to joining the organization in 2010, he served as Vice President of Corporate Law, Vice President of Commercial Law and Assistant Secretary for Amgen, and as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at Fresenius Medical Care North America. Mr. Martin also was a partner at the law firm Foley & Lardner and served eight years as Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. He also has served as an adjunct professor at the Loyola University School of Law.
Mr. Martin received his Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Michigan with highest distinction, as well as a Juris Doctorate, magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School.
Frederick J. Newton
Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer
Apollo Group, Inc.
Fred Newton serves is Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer of Apollo Group. Prior to joining the organization in 2009, Mr. Newton held the position of Chief People Officer at Schottenstein Stores Corporation. He also has held Chief Human Resources Officer roles at Cinergy Corp, LG&E Energy Corporation and senior Human Resource positions at Venator Corp. and Unilever/Lever Brothers Co. Mr. Newton began his corporate career at PepsiCo/Frito-Lay, Inc. and also served seven years in the United States Navy.
Mr. Newton received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Rhode Island and a Master of Business Administration in Labor Relations from San Diego State University. He currently serves on the board of the directors of Teach for America – Phoenix, University of Rhode Island, School of Business advisory board and Expect More Arizona.
Brian L. Swartz serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Apollo Group. Prior to this role, he served as Treasurer and Chief Accounting Officer for the organization. Mr. Swartz joined Apollo Group from EaglePicher Incorporated and he began his career at Arthur Andersen LLP.
He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Arizona and is a Certified Public Accountant. He is on the board of the directors of the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce and serves as Vice Chairman of the board of the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation.
William J. Pepicello, Ph.D. Dr. Pepicello serves as the President of University of Phoenix, which is owned by the Apollo Group. Prior to this role, he served as Provost of the University, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Dean of the School of Advanced Studies. He also has held positions as the President of the University of Sarasota and Chief Academic Officer of American Intercontinental University.
Dr. Pepicello received his Bachelor of Arts in Classics from Gannon University, and both his Master of Arts and Doctorate of Philosophy in Linguistics from Brown University. He serves on the board of directors of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, the Valley of the Sun United Way, AZ Commission on Post Secondary Education, National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix.