Darren Person

Darren Person currently serves as Cengage Group’s EVP & Chief Digital Officer (CDO). In this role, Darren leads Cengage Group’s product technology and innovation organization. He is focused on developing a standardized approach to product technology across the company’s three business units – Cengage Academic, Cengage Work and Cengage Select – that helps foster innovative, immersive and personalized learning experiences. As part of this work, Darren also is responsible for furthering the company’s innovation efforts in areas like virtual and augmented reality, as well as Generative AI, exploring how these capabilities can best be leveraged across our businesses to meet the evolving needs of customers.

Prior to joining Cengage Group, Darren held a number of technology leadership roles across industry sectors. As the Global CIO at NPD, a global data analytics company, he played a crucial role in the company's evolution, partnering with the leadership team to facilitate the company's sale to Hellman & Friedman (H&F). Subsequently, he was instrumental in the acquisition of IRI Worldwide, which ultimately led to the formation of Circana. Person’s tenure at NPD was marked by his leadership of the technology and operations groups, integrating and streamlining the operations and technology organizations. He was also responsible for developing NPD’s next-generation platform, enhancing client services through innovative machine learning, AI, data and analytics solutions. Before NPD, Person significantly contributed to RELX Group, a global information and analytics company, where he drove the technology vision, strategy, and execution. His career also includes influential roles as CTO for CBS Television Stations, and senior positions at Lifetime Entertainment, Adecco and USA Networks.

Additionally, Darren has been an active member of The New York CTO Club since 2008 and also serves on the BWG Strategy advisory board, contributing to vital industry discussions and networking since 2015.

Darren holds an MBA from Columbia Business School in business administration and management and a bachelor’s degree in computer information science from Ithaca College. He is based out of New York City and lives in Long Island, New York.