Colibri Group recently announced that Jeff James was appointed to chief executive officer of Colibri, effective April 26, 2021. Mr. James will succeed Mike Duran, who will assume the role of executive chairman, advising the company on its strategic direction and M&A strategy. Colibri Group is backed by Gridiron Capital, LLC, an investment firm focused on partnering with founders, entrepreneurs and management teams.
As a 25-year veteran of The Walt Disney Company, James’ most recent role at Disney was as vice president and general manager of the Disney Institute, which helps professionals and organizations, many of which are Fortune 500 companies, learn how to leverage time-tested business practices used by Disney parks and resorts. Prior to his time at the Disney Institute, James served as vice president and managing director for Disney Destinations International in London. He led the marketing, sales, public relations and finance efforts across the United Kingdom and Ireland for the portfolio of assets within Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.
“It has been a privilege to lead Colibri for more than a decade, and I am proud of what the team has achieved during my time at the company,” said Duran. “Jeff is a truly unique executive who understands what it takes to evolve from a transactional model to an experiential, and recurring, one, and he intuitively gets the impact the latter has on customer lifetime value and brand sustainability. I know Colibri is in good hands under Jeff’s leadership.”
“I have long admired Colibri, and I am excited to seize this incredible opportunity to take the professional learning experience to the next level as well as help our customers achieve more in their careers,” said James. “I also want to thank Mike for his time as chief executive officer, and I am looking forward to working with him in his new capacity as executive chairman.”
“We are extremely grateful for Mike’s many contributions to Colibri and the success the company has experienced under his leadership,” said Kevin Jackson, managing partner at Gridiron Capital. “Jeff brings to Colibri a strong history of leading and growing businesses, as well as passion for a superior customer experience. He is already focused on leveraging his expertise and accomplishments to work with the team to create market transforming products for licensed professionals nationwide, and we are thrilled to welcome him to the Colibri team.”
“Colibri is poised to lead the next frontier of innovation in professional education by providing an unmatchable, engaging experience for its userbase,” said Will Hausberg, managing director at Gridiron Capital. “With Jeff leading Colibri going forward, we are confident the company will continue to deliver on its potential.”
For more information, please visit www.colibrigroup.com.
