Former Board Member & Private Sector Leader Julian Nicks tapped as next LaunchCode CEO
ST. LOUIS – The LaunchCode Board of Directors has announced Julian Nicks will serve as the organization’s next chief executive officer.
“I’m honored to announce we found a distinguished private sector leader and friend of LaunchCode to serve as our next CEO,” said Jim McKelvey, LaunchCode Founder and Board President. “At LaunchCode, our mission is to build a skilled workforce, opening our doors to more people to tackle the tech talent gap facing employers. Julian has a track record of making businesses more efficient and re-investing those resources to drive scale. We are excited about how he will move us forward.”
Nicks served on LaunchCode’s Board of Directors for more than three years, before stepping down last week in order to lead the organization. He joins LaunchCode from the global management consulting firm, Bain & Company, where he has worked in their Chicago office since 2013, with work in private, public, and nonprofit sector strategy.
Along with extensive experience in business strategy, Nicks has worked in various capacities for local government across the Midwest focused on workforce development, secondary and higher education, and municipal partnerships. This includes serving as director of transformation for the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. There, he oversaw the restructuring of the department, transforming the previous Missouri Department of Higher Education of 50 employees located in Jefferson City to an organization of more than 300 employees located throughout the state.
“I am humbled and honored by the opportunity to lead such a great
organization,” said incoming LaunchCode CEO Julian Nicks. “Since its founding, LaunchCode has had an incredible impact on our learners, our employer partners, and the broader local economy in the regions in which we operate. I look forward to leading the passionate, dedicated team at LaunchCode to continue to create lasting impact in the communities we serve.”
Nicks earned a bachelor’s degree from Washington University in Saint Louis and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He will relocate from Chicago to his hometown of St. Louis to lead LaunchCode’s growing national team and operations.
LaunchCode is a national nonprofit creating economic opportunity through free, accessible tech training and apprenticeship and job placement. While careers in technology have traditionally been reserved to those who can afford a four-year computer science degree, LaunchCode’s programs are free and accessible to motivated individuals who are assessed for passion, drive and aptitude rather than
credentials.
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Press Contact:
Leah Freeman
leah@launchcode.org
901-359-1104
