Welcoming Our New CEO
In April 2026, World Merit welcomed a new chapter of leadership with the appointment of our CEO, Breanna Leuze. Her journey, shaped by resilience, global perspective, and a deep commitment to equity, reflects the values at the heart of our community.
A Legacy of Grit, a Vision for Equity
From the working-class farms of Sugar Grove, Illinois, USA, to the vibrant, “go-with-the-flow” shores of Tampa Bay, Florida, Breanna Leuze’s journey is a masterclass in the power of a “never-give-up” mindset. Her path to the boardroom wasn’t paved with privilege; it was forged through fire. Working since the age of 13 and a six-time college dropout who eventually funded her own degree, Breanna spent years serving tables 12 hours a day, 6 days a week and bartending in Chicago, Illinois USA. Those years in the service industry did not just pay the bills; they instilled in her a relentless work ethic and a profound understanding of the human spirit.
With over 20 years of expertise across higher education, sales, and international business development, Breanna has dedicated her life to building bridges between talent and opportunity. Before taking the helm at World Merit, she served as President of CareerFoundry, where she scaled the organization to over $70M in annual revenue and led a global team of 600.
Throughout her career, she has generated more than $800 million for educational and business institutions, but her true “ROI” is measured in lives changed: to date, she has helped over 40,000 adults pivot their careers or begin their educational journeys. She is living proof that mission-driven work flourishes most when backed by strategic excellence.
A Global Citizen on a mission
Breanna’s perspective is shaped by the dust of visiting over 25 countries and conversations with people from over 170 nations. From the medieval streets of Germany and Poland (where her family roots run deep) to the lush landscapes of Jamaica and the Bahamas, she has witnessed a devastating global truth: talent is universal, but opportunity is not.
For two decades, she has walked both the halls of ivory towers and the forgotten paths of remote villages. She has looked into the eyes of brilliant minds extinguished simply by the “lottery of birth,” and seen the rungs of the success ladder stripped away from those who need them most. She does not just have data; she has names. She has the echoes of whispered dreams that died for lack of a single chance. Breanna can no longer stay silent while the world gambles away the potential of its youth.
“I have carried the trays that fed CEO’s and I have carried the stories of those the world has forgotten. I know the exact weight of a dream that has no place to land. My job isn’t just to open doors; it’s to tear down the walls that make doors necessary.”
Fluent in academic theory, corporate strategy, and the art of doing absolutely nothing watching the sunset on the beach.
Today, she lives in the Tampa Bay area with her husband and her two dogs, Hawkeye (a Labrador) and Teddy Bear (a Shih Tzu). Her personal life reflects her commitment to the world’s beauty.
She spends her summers on burning sands helping to keep watch over the endangered sea turtle nests, seeing each hatchling as a metaphor for the youth she serves. Whether kayaking freshwater springs with manatees or snorkeling the reefs of the Florida Keys, she moves with the reverence of someone who knows life is both beautiful and precarious. Naturally inquisitive, she has read over 1,000 books, taught herself over 600 recipes from scratch, and she’s currently writing her own book, proving that a ‘six-time dropout’ isn’t a failure, it’s just someone who refused to stop trying.
Leading the Future of World Merit
As CEO, Breanna leads with a rare balance of empathy and strategic vision. By cultivating global opportunities, she is architecting a future that transcends borders to ensure equity for all. Recognizing that the community is the pulse of World Merit, Breanna will scale the organization’s impact with the same heart and precision that fueled her 20-year trajectory from higher education to global leadership.
Favorite Quote: “Overcome the devils with a thing called love. Until the philosophy which hold one race superior and another inferior is finally discredited and abandoned… everywhere is war. Me only have one ambition, y’know. I only have one thing I really like to see happen. I like to see mankind live together.” — Bob Marley