Universal Technical Institute has announced the promotions of Sherrell Smith, Chad Freed, Chuck Barresi and Roger Speer to new leadership positions within the company.
Smith, formerly senior vice president of operations, will now serve as executive vice president, admissions and operations. In his 26 years with UTI, Smith has contributed to the organization in many leadership roles including serving as campus president, regional vice president of operations and senior vice president of operations. His career also includes advising a private equity firm on acquisition opportunities in the education field as well as serving as the CEO of American Institute of Technology. Smith holds a Bachelor of Science in management from Arizona State University.
Freed, formerly general counsel and senior vice president of business development, has been promoted to general counsel and executive vice president, corporate development. Freed joined UTI as vice president, corporate counsel in 2004. Since that time, he has strengthened UTI’s regulatory and compliance foundation and built solid relationships with accrediting bodies and the Department of Education. He also paved the way for growth via new campus development and acquisition opportunities and was instrumental in the development and launch of UTI’s campuses in Dallas, Texas, and Long Beach, California. Prior to joining UTI, Freed was a senior associate in the corporate finance and securities department at Bryan Cave LLP. He received his Juris Doctor from Tulane University and holds a Bachelor of Science in international business and French from Pennsylvania State University.
Barresi, formerly regional vice president of operations, has been promoted to senior vice president, customer solutions. Barresi will lead UTI’s efforts to expand its customer base and grow its suite of product and service offerings. In addition, he assumes responsibility for all of UTI’s industry and business alliances, which includes providing custom training solutions to industry partners. Barresi has served as president of UTI’s Norwood campus since joining the company in 2010 and as regional vice president of operations since 2012. He also led the recent acquisition of the Roush Yates School of Technology and development and piloting of a service writing program. Prior to joining UTI, he served in a variety of senior level sales and operations management roles in the electronics manufacturing industry. Barresi holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from William Patterson University and a certificate in The General Managers Program from Harvard University.
Speer, formerly president of UTI’s campuses in Sacramento and Rancho Cucamonga, California, has been promoted to regional vice president of operations. In his new role, he will oversee the UTI Rancho Cucamonga and Sacramento campuses as well as the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute-Phoenix campus. Speer’s career with UTI spans more than 25 years in roles of progressive leadership, during which he has served as president of several campuses and has held senior leadership roles in operations, education and training and support services. Speer holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration and personnel management from Arizona State University.
“Sherrell, Chad, Chuck and Roger have been instrumental leading teams in delivering the quality education, positive student experience and favorable educational outcomes that have contributed to UTI’s leadership position and growth in a complex industry,” said Eugene Putnam, president and chief financial officer at UTI. “These promotions reflect their dedication to our company’s mission and the significant contributions each has made to driving operational improvements and enhanced customer service levels for our students and industry partners.”
