IACET Welcomes Ryan Austin to its Board of Directors
The International Association for Continuing Education and Training
45591 Dulles Eastern Plaza, Suite 132
Sterling, VA 20166
Media Contact
Randy Bowman, President & CEO
marketing@iacet.org
703.763.0705 Extension 103
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sterling, VA, August 26, 2026 – The International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) is pleased to welcome Ryan Austin as a new Director on its Board of Directors.
Austin is a serial entrepreneur and recognized thought leader in talent development with nearly 20 years of experience in workforce enablement. He is the Founder and CEO of Cognota, a LearnOps platform focused on helping enterprise learning and development, talent, and HR teams improve operational effectiveness, align with business goals, optimize resources, and demonstrate program impact.
Under Austin’s leadership, Cognota has developed technology supporting the emerging LearnOps category and has been recognized by Brandon Hall Group for advances in learning technology and measurement. Austin also hosts the LearnOps Leadership Series and contributes to industry conversations through speaking and publications, including Forbes Business Council, ATD, and Training Journal.
Before founding Cognota, Austin served as Senior Vice President of Training Americas at World Trade Group, where he developed scalable training and event programs. He also serves as an advisor and mentor with Elevate and has participated in several entrepreneurial accelerator programs.
Austin’s experience at the intersection of learning operations, technology, entrepreneurship, and workforce development will add an important perspective to IACET’s Board as the organization continues to support quality and innovation in continuing education and training.
“Ryan brings a forward-looking perspective on how learning organizations operate, scale, and demonstrate value. His experience building solutions for enterprise learning teams will help IACET continue connecting rigorous quality standards with the evolving realities of today’s workforce and learning technology landscape.”— Randy Bowman, President & CEO, IACET
"Workforce development is at an inflection point — AI is changing not just how people learn, but how learning teams operate, prove their value, and keep pace with the business. I've spent my career building the operational backbone that lets L&D teams move faster and show real impact, and I'm looking forward to bringing that same focus on rigor and innovation to IACET's Board. My hope is to help push the accreditation and continuing education space forward at the same speed the industry it serves is moving." —Ryan Austin
About IACET: The International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) is a non-profit organization dedicated to quality continuing education and training programs. IACET is the only standard-setting organization approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for continuing education and training. The ANSI/IACET Standard is the core of thousands of educational programs worldwide.