By Dean Seal

Skillsoft has hired Ron Kisling, the former chief financial officer of Fastly and Fitbit, to succeed outgoing finance chief John Frederick.

The education-software company said Frederick is retiring and will act as an adviser to the company through early September. The departure isn't related to Skillsoft's financial and operational results or any disagreement about its practices, the company said.

"We thank John for his leadership and contributions during his tenure and wish him the best," Chief Executive Ron Hovsepian said.

Kisling was the CFO of Fitbit from 2018 until its acquisition by Alphabet's Google in 2021. He then spent four years in the C-suite at Fastly before leaving last August.

The incoming CFO joins Skillsoft at a time of transformation, Hovsepian said. The company said earlier Wednesday that it would sell its Global Knowledge instructor-led training business for about $18 million to an affiliate of Enduring Ventures.

The move will allow it to focus on scaling its artificial intelligence-native skills management platform by investing in content, technology and AI-driven learning solutions.

Write to Dean Seal at dean.seal@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 20, 2026 18:34 ET (22:34 GMT)

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