Executive Leadership

 

Laurie Diethelm

 President

Laurie has 20+ years of experience creating educational products ranging from software-as-a-service (SaaS) learning and development platforms to content-rich, multimedia learning experiences. Prior to joining the Capstone team, she worked with brands including For Dummies, Everything DiSC, Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team, The Leadership Challenge, PXT Select, CrossKnowledge, and RMC Learning Solutions. She is a firm believer that the team is the most critical ingredient in the product development process—people from different perspectives and skill sets working together in creative tension will craft something much greater than any individual can create alone. Laurie is a graduate from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus.

 

 

Eric Helgason

Executive Vice President of Finance and Operations

Eric joined Capstone in 2018 as an Assistant Controller and was promoted to Controller in 2020. He moved into his current role in December 2024, where he oversees finance and operations – including Fulfillment, Project Management, IT Security, and Risk and Contracts.   Eric began his career at Holiday Companies working in a variety of finance and accounting leadership roles.  He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Concordia University.

 

Haygood Poundstone

Chief Revenue Officer

Haygood is a strategic and results-driven executive leader with more than 25 years of experience in sales and edtech. Prior to joining Capstone, Haygood was a successful sales leader at Renaissance Learning, where he served as Area Vice President – East. In that role, he directed 100+ sales staff for 8 regions generating $160 million in revenue. Before that role, Haygood was a Regional Vice President at myON where he built and scaled the sales team. He has his Bachelor of Science, Business Administration from Auburn University, Montgomery, AL.

 

 

Beth Brezenoff

Executive Vice President and General Manager , Content

Beth started with Capstone in 2006 as an editor and held roles of Assistant Editorial Director and Editorial Director before she was named Director of Product Planning in 2018. She oversees the Capstone Content Team and is responsible for the content development, strategy, and execution of Capstone’s publishing list. Beth began her career at Simon & Schuster and is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College.

 

 

Amy Schmidt

Vice President, People Operations

Amy has a 20+ year career at Capstone, helping support the business life cycles and processes that include start-ups, acquisitions, business shutdowns, and sales. She is a seasoned leader of People Operations, focused on providing counsel and support of the strategic vision of the business, creating people programs that can bring that strategy to life, and mitigating risk along with leadership coaching, recruitment, retention, compensation, learning and development, and employee relations.  Before Capstone, she worked in banking and higher education. She attended Minnesota State University, Mankato where she graduated with a degree in Business Management specializing in Human Resources Management. She is a Leadership Coach with certification from the Institute for Professional Excellence and Coaching (IPEC) as well as the International Coaching Federation (ICF). She also holds her Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification from HRCI. 

 

 

Board of Governors

 

Robert J. Coughlan

Principal and Board Member

Bob was part of the team that acquired Capstone in 1990 and became its sole owner in 2019. Capstone rapidly expanded from its inaugural year of publishing 48 books to an industry leader, annually publishing over 700 titles in a variety of formats and successfully innovating into the digital space with products such as PebbleGo, a subscription database designed to be a K-2 student’s first research experience. Prior to his leadership at Capstone, Bob served in a variety of executive leadership positions in the manufacturing and publishing industries. Bob enjoys being involved in CEO peer to peer roundtables. He graduated from Gonzaga University, Spokane, with a B.A. in History.

 

Mary J. Cullinane

Board Member

Mary has spent the last 25 years in leadership positions in the education, technology, and publishing industries. As a former C-Level executive, she has led large organizations responsible for over one billion dollars in annual revenue. She has been responsible for helping drive a company through restructuring and IPO events and has led marketing, communications, and product development organizations in technology and publishing. While at Microsoft, Mary led a team who worked with leaders from around the globe in the quest to improve the teaching and learning process. Mary, a former teacher and author, holds an undergraduate degree from The College of New Jersey and a Master’s degree from Columbia University.

 

W. Douglas Hile

Board Member

Doug is a business executive with over 40 years of experience in senior executive and CEO roles in financial service businesses in money center, super-regional, and large community banks. He has expert skills in building high performance teams and executing growth strategies in private companies. He has served as a director on over 35 private, public, and cooperative boards in 10 states, with experience chairing boards and numerous committees, including Audit Chair for two large reporting entities. Hile is a graduate of Marquette University (BA, Economics) and the University of Chicago (MBA, Finance and Marketing).

 

Dr. Charlie Miller

Board Member

Charlie is the founder of Flipgrid, a social learning platform used by more than 50 million students, educators, and families across 190 countries. He joined Microsoft as Partner General Manager in 2018 when Microsoft acquired Flipgrid. Prior to Microsoft, Charlie was an Associate Professor in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota, as well as the founder and Executive Director of the Institute for Design Innovation (now Education Technology Innovations).

 

Jeffrey L. Sugerman

Chair of the Board

Jeff brings more than 30 years of experience in executive management, marketing, and business development within the technology, training, and publishing industries. He joined Inscape Publishing as President and CEO in 2001 to lead its transformation into an independent, growth company. In February 2012, Inscape was acquired by John Wiley and Sons, Inc. and he was named Executive Vice President of the Talent Solutions and Education Services Group. In August 2017, he left Wiley and now works independently as an Advisor and Director to technology-enabled, high-growth companies in the middle market. Jeff received a Ph.D. in psychology from Washington University in St. Louis and a B.A. from Northwestern University.