Primrose Schools announced Steve Clemente as President in charge of internal operations for Primrose School Franchising Company. He joined Primrose on May 9. Jo Kirchner, formerly President & CEO, remains as CEO, focusing more deeply on strategic direction and external brand leadership.

"We are delighted to have Steve fill this important role at Primrose, especially during this period of unprecedented Primrose Schools growth. His demonstrated leadership, business savvy with multi-unit corporations and strong character will help us sustain our commitment to service excellence as we continue to expand," said Kirchner.

Most recently, Clemente was President of Field & Stream, a subsidiary of Dick's Sporting Goods. Prior to joining Dick's, he spent five years with the Nebraska Book Company, rising from Sr. Vice President in charge of operations to President and CEO before joining the company's board of directors.

He began his career as an Executive in Training at Target Stores and enjoyed a 15-year trajectory there, culminating as a Group Vice President in charge of $3.3 billion in operations. He was widely recognized for creating collaborative cultures and mentoring high-performance executives, and his team led the company in customer service and financial profitability.

Clemente holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Central Florida and a master's degree in business administration from Webster University.

In addition to this new Primrose role for Steve Clemente, the company also announced the promotion of John Teat to Vice President of Franchise Finance.

Teat joined Primrose Schools as Managing Director of Franchise Finance in November 2009. His previous experience includes more than 25 years in the banking and finance industry, where he dedicated much of his time to creating national franchise lending programs for many franchise brands – including Primrose Schools.  

"John's wealth of experience in banking, network within the finance industry and knowledge of the Primrose system have been invaluable," said Kirchner. "His tremendous efforts have led to new, innovative lending programs that support our ability to open new schools and serve more children and families across America."

Teat holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Dallas and a master's degree in banking and finance from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Teat and Clemente will both serve on the Executive Team for Primrose Schools.