Pearson

Global learning company (LSE: PSON, NYSE: PSO), 20,000+ staff. Runs Pearson VUE testing, Connections Academy virtual schools, Edexcel / BTEC / PTE assessments, and higher-ed courseware.

Services Education / Assessment / Virtual Learning / Publishing
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London, UK HQ
20,000 employees
1844 founded

What is Pearson?

Pearson (LSE: PSON, NYSE: PSO) is one of the largest education companies in the world, headquartered in London and dual-listed in London and New York. Founded in 1844 as a construction firm and pivoted decades ago into publishing and then education services, the modern Pearson is built around five business lines: Assessment & Qualifications (Edexcel, BTEC, and the Pearson VUE professional-testing network that runs certification exams for AWS, Cisco, Microsoft, CompTIA, and hundreds of other bodies), Virtual Learning (Connections Academy, one of the largest online K-12 school networks in the US), Higher Education (courseware, digital textbooks, and the MyLab / Mastering platforms), English Language Learning (Pearson Test of English), and Workforce Skills (enterprise credentialing and reskilling). Omar Abbosh took over as CEO in January 2024, succeeding Andy Bird. Abbosh previously served as Microsoft's Corporate Vice President for Industry Solutions and, before that, Chief Strategy Officer at Accenture. Chairman Omid Kordestani (former Google chief business officer and Twitter executive chairman) has led the board since 2019. Pearson employs roughly 20,000 people across North America, the UK, continental Europe, India, and Asia-Pacific, and generates about £3.5B in annual revenue. The company sold its Penguin Random House stake in 2020 and its US K-12 courseware business (now Savvas Learning) in 2019 to focus the portfolio on assessment, online learning, and workforce credentials.

Mission & values

Help people around the world get the education and skills they need to build the lives they want by connecting learning to real progress in careers, credentials, and life outcomes.

Qualifications

Pearson hires across four broad tracks. (1) Corporate roles (product, engineering, data, design, marketing, finance, HR, sales) live at pearson.jobs and are anchored to the London, New York, Hoboken, and Bangalore hubs with hybrid schedules. (2) Content and assessment roles (item writers, examiners, subject-matter experts, curriculum designers) are frequently freelance or part-time contract, remote-friendly, and open to teachers and academics with domain credentials. (3) Virtual teaching roles for Connections Academy and the wider virtual-schools network are typically US-remote and require an active state teaching certification. (4) Pearson VUE test-center administrator roles are in-person at physical test centers, so they are not remote. Application flow lives at pearson.jobs (the primary global portal). Common friction: sponsorship is limited for corporate roles outside the core hub countries, and Connections Academy state-certification requirements are strict.

Leadership

O

Omar Abbosh

Chief Executive Officer

CEO since January 2024. Previously Corporate Vice President for Industry Solutions at Microsoft. Before Microsoft, Chief Strategy Officer at Accenture, where he spent 32 years.

O

Omid Kordestani

Chairman of the Board

Pearson chairman since 2019. Former Chief Business Officer at Google (2001 to 2009) and Executive Chairman at Twitter (2015 to 2020).

S

Sally Johnson

Chief Financial Officer

CFO since 2020. Long-tenured Pearson finance executive prior to promotion.

A

Andy Bird

Former Chief Executive Officer

CEO from October 2020 to January 2024. Previously Chairman of Walt Disney International.

Hiring process

  1. 1

    Apply at pearson.jobs

    Browse open roles across all five business lines and submit through the global careers portal.

  2. 2

    Recruiter screen

    Confirms role fit, location, sponsorship, and salary expectations. Pearson runs a competency-based screening framework.

    About 7 days

  3. 3

    Hiring manager interview

    Role-specific deep-dive. For teaching and examiner roles, includes credential verification.

    About 7 days

  4. 4

    Panel or skills assessment

    Corporate: cross-functional panel or case exercise. Content: sample lesson, item-writing exercise, or teaching demonstration. Test-center admin: security and customer-service scenario.

    About 10 days

  5. 5

    Offer and background check

    Offer plus standard background check (DBS in the UK, state-level checks in the US for teaching roles).

    About 14 days

Funding

StagePublic
Investors
Public (LSE: PSON, NYSE: PSO)

Awards & recognition

  • FTSE 100 constituent · 2026

    London Stock Exchange

  • Divested US K-12 courseware business as Savvas Learning · 2019

    Pearson

  • Exited Penguin Random House stake · 2020

    Pearson

Company information

Frequently asked questions

Is Pearson a public company?
Yes, dual-listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: PSON) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: PSO). It has been public for decades.
Who is the current CEO?
Omar Abbosh, since January 2024. He joined from Microsoft where he was Corporate Vice President for Industry Solutions. Before Microsoft he was Chief Strategy Officer at Accenture.
What does Pearson actually do today?
Five business lines: professional testing (Pearson VUE), UK and international qualifications (Edexcel, BTEC), virtual K-12 schools (Connections Academy), higher-education courseware, and enterprise workforce skills.
Is Pearson remote-friendly?
Yes for many corporate roles (hybrid across major hubs), freelance content and examiner work, and Connections Academy virtual teaching. Test-center administrators are in-person only, and some regulated assessment operations require on-site work.
How do I apply for Connections Academy teaching roles?
Through pearson.jobs, filtered by "Virtual Learning" or "Connections Academy." Active US state teaching certification is required for the state you would teach into.
How can I get on the item-writer / examiner roster?
Pearson recruits freelance item writers and examiners through subject-specific calls at pearson.jobs and via direct outreach to qualified teachers and academics. Domain credentials matter more than years of experience.

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One email per week, 5 hand-picked roles.