Skip to main content
green graphicgreen graphic

Board of Directors

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is responsible for steering KinderCare Learning Companies, Inc.™ towards its mission, helping to bring the organization’s vision to life through strategic decisions, policies, and initiatives.

Tom Wyatt

Tom Wyatt

Tom Wyatt is Chairman of the Board of KinderCare Learning Companies. In this role, he will continue to work with local, state and federal government officials, community leaders and other external partners to advocate for children, families and KLC’s teachers and staff. He previously served as KLC’s Chief Executive Officer from 2012-2024.

In his 12 years as CEO, Tom transformed the company, leading the organization to significant growth and the highest standards of excellence in education. His focus on a culture was marked by record-high levels of employee and customer engagement, resulting in the company earning the Gallup Great Workplace Award for the past eight years. 

Tom’s career spans more than 40 years of leading successful consumer brands. Prior to joining KinderCare, he was with Gap Inc. where he served as President of the Old Navy division from 2008-2012. Other executive roles he’s held include President and CEO for Cutter & Buck, President of Warnaco Intimate Apparel, and President of Vanity Fair Intimates and Vanity Fair Intimates Coalition. 

 
Read more
Christine Deputy

Christine Deputy

Christine Deputy is Expedia’s Chief People Officer. Before joining Expedia Group in June 2024, Christine was the Chief People Officer at Pinterest. Christine brings two decades of human resources experience leading teams at iconic brands like Nordstrom, Barclays, and Starbucks. Previously at Nordstrom, where she served as Chief Human Resources Officer, she supported more than 70,000 employees, helping the company reach many milestones such as achieving pay equity and pay parity and bringing diversity, inclusion and belonging into every part of the business. She was previously with Starbucks for 11 years at various senior levels, including Vice President, Human Resources, Asia Pacific.

Read more
Jean Desravines

Jean Desravines

Jean Desravines serves as the CEO of New Leaders, a national nonprofit organization that develops school and system leaders in more than 20 urban cities and 15 states. In his first year as CEO, Jean led New Leaders’ turnaround, enabling the organization to move from a budget deficit to an annual surplus that has been maintained over the past 10 years. During these same 10 years, the organization has dramatically scaled its impact by more than 400% and shifted its business model to allow for accelerated growth, revenue potential, and diverse partnership opportunities. Prior to New Leaders, Jean served as a senior counselor to NYC Schools Chancellor Joel Klein in the Bloomberg Administration and launched a $50 million program to hire 1,200+ staff to better engage parents and community members.

Read more
Mike Nuzzo

Mike Nuzzo

Mike Nuzzo is the Chief Executive Officer of Eyemart Express, a national eyewear retailer. From 2019 to August 2022, Mike served as Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and President of Petco Services at Petco Health & Wellness Company. From 2015 to 2021, Mike served as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer at Petco, Inc. and played a key role in the company’s initial public offering in January 2021. Prior to joining Petco, Mike served as Chief Administrative Officer at 4moms, a leading high-tech baby gear brand. Previously, Mike was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for General Nutrition Centers (GNC). He also served in various financial and operational leadership roles at Abercrombie & Fitch, including Senior Vice President of Corporate Finance.

Read more
Ben Russell

Ben Russell

Ben Russell is a Senior Vice President at Partners Group and is part of the Private Equity Goods and Products business unit at Partners Group, based in Denver. He has 17 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Partners Group, he worked at MBHE Holdings and Harris Williams.

Read more
Joel Schwartz

Joel Schwartz

Joel Schwartz is Co-Head of the Private Equity Services business unit for Partners Group as well as a member of the Global Investment Committee, the Private Equity Direct Leads Investment Committee, and Co-Chairman of the Private Equity Direct Co-Investments in Services Investment Committee, based in New York. He serves on the Board of Directors of the firm's portfolio companies KinderCare Learning Centers, Form Technologies, Curvature and United States Infrastructure Corporation. He has been with Partners Group since 2013 and has 27 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Partners Group, he was a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs Investment Partners and Angelo Gordon & Co., and a Partner at Apax Partners. Earlier in his career, Joel also worked at General Atlantic, McKinsey and Morgan Stanley.

Read more
Alyssa Waxenberg

Alyssa Waxenberg

Alyssa Waxenberg is the Director of Digital Product, Consumer Marketing at Quest Diagnostics. She has led transformation and product teams to define the roadmaps and implementation of ecommerce and digital platforms from the ground up in the hospitality, retail, technology, and healthcare sectors. In addition, she has experience in both start-ups and global enterprise organizations (B2C and B2B), including Independent Pet Partners, IBM and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. Prior to joining Starwood, Alyssa’s career included positions at advertising agencies, internet startups and media companies (e.g., OgilvyOne Worldwide, Williams Communications and Excite@Home) that focused on both traditional and online marketing, working with Fortune 500 brands.

Read more
Preston Grasty

Preston Grasty

Preston Grasty is a Senior Investment Leader at Partners Group, where he has been employed since 2018. Prior to joining Partners Group, Mr. Grasty served as an Associate at Carnelian Energy Capital from 2015 to 2016 and as an investment banking Analyst at Credit Suisse from 2014 to 2015. Mr. Grasty holds a B.B.A. and a Master in Professional Accounting from the University of Texas McCombs School of Business and a M.B.A. from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Read more