Open LMS Announces Executive Leadership Transition: Maura Connor Appointed Managing Director, Willem Boom Named Head of Sales
Raleigh, NC – July 17, 2026 – Open LMS, a global leader in open-source learning management systems, today announced a transition in its executive leadership team. The organization is excited to welcome Maura Connor to the role of Managing Director, and Willem Boom to the role of Head of Sales.
Maura Connor, stepping into the role of Managing Director, is an accomplished executive with more than 30 years of experience dedicated entirely within the education technology sector. Connor brings a profound understanding of the edtech landscape and a proven track record of translating strategic vision into execution and measurable business results.
Connor’s extensive leadership background includes 15 years at Pearson, where she rose to VP of Portfolio & Product Management for their enterprise learning division, as well as serving as CEO and COO for several prominent edtech and learning SaaS companies. Known as an operator who champions clarity, accountability, and professional development, Connor is also an active mentor dedicated to advancing women into executive leadership roles.
"I am thrilled to join Open LMS at such a pivotal time in the digital learning space," said Maura Connor, incoming Managing Director. "Open LMS has built an incredible global ecosystem, and I look forward to working alongside this talented team to build on that momentum, expand our market perspective, and continue delivering exceptional value to our clients."
Joining alongside Connor is Willem Boom, who has been appointed as the new Head of Sales. Boom is a seasoned global sales leader with more than 25 years of experience leading high-performing, customer-facing teams across EdTech, professional learning, and SaaS environments.
Throughout his career, Boom has specialized in helping organizations evolve from early-stage selling into disciplined, customer-centric go-to-market models. He has held senior leadership roles at Totara Learning, D2L, Boundless Learning, and FileWave, working closely with executive teams, boards, and private equity stakeholders to align growth strategies with customer success. At Open LMS, Boom will focus on driving global commercial strategy and scaling growth while maintaining a commitment to authentic, human-centered sales leadership.
As Open LMS embarks on this new chapter, the existing global leadership team and staff stand ready to support Connor and Boom, combining their deep open-source LMS expertise with the fresh operational and market perspectives brought by the new executive leadership. Concurrently, David Ells (former Managing Director) and Bill Conran (former Head of Sales) are moving on to pursue new opportunities after two and a half years of dedicated service. The entire Open LMS organization extends its gratitude to both leaders for their stewardship, support and contributions, wishing them the best in their future endeavors.
For more information about Open LMS and its learning solutions, visit www.openlms.net.About Open LMS
Open LMS helps organizations worldwide deliver engaging, scalable learning experiences. Built on Moodle™ and powered by AWS, Open LMS combines the flexibility of open-source technology with enterprise-grade security, support, and reliability. Trusted by institutions, associations, nonprofits, government agencies, and businesses, the platform offers personalized learning journeys, compliance training, advanced reporting, content creation tools, and a robust ecosystem of integrations.
As the world's largest commercial provider of Moodle™ hosting and support services, Open LMS supports more than 10 million learners across 120+ countries. Open LMS is part of Learning Technologies Group (LTG), a global leader in learning, talent, and workforce development solutions. Learn more about Open LMS at www.openlms.net.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Leadership Transition at Open LMS
Q: What change is being announced?
A: Open LMS is embarking on an exciting new phase of growth. We are welcoming Maura Connor as our new Managing Director and Willem Boom as our new Head of Sales. Concurrently, David Ells (former Managing Director) and Bill Conran (former Head of Sales) are moving on to new opportunities after two and a half years of dedicated service. The entire Open LMS organization extends its gratitude to both leaders for their stewardship, support and contributions, wishing them the absolute best in their future endeavors.
Q: Will this transition cause any disruptions to my services or platform support?
A: No. It is entirely business as usual. Our core account management, support, and technical implementation teams remain fully in place. Your daily interactions, system stability, platform performance, and support channels will not change.
Q: Why is this leadership change happening now?
A: This transition marks the next chapter for Open LMS as we look to accelerate our global market presence, enhance product innovation, and scale our go-to-market strategies. Maura and Willem bring decades of deep experience in educational technology and SaaS scaling to lead us through this high-growth phase.
Q: Who is Open LMS’s new Managing Director, Maura Connor?
A: Maura brings more than 30 years of experience entirely within the education and health technology sectors. She has held senior executive roles across the industry, including 15 years at Pearson (where she rose to VP of Portfolio & Product Management for their enterprise learning business) as well as CEO and COO seats at several edtech and learning SaaS organizations. She has a proven track record of turning strategy into results while scaling learning businesses.
Q: Who is Open LMS’s new Head of Sales, Willem Boom?
A: Willem is a global commercial leader with over 25 years of experience driving high-performing, customer-facing teams across EdTech, professional learning, and SaaS. He has previously held impactful senior leadership roles at notable learning organizations, including Totara Learning and D2L, specializing in building disciplined, customer-centric go-to-market models.
Q: Does this change the Open LMS commitment to open-source or Moodle™?
A: Not at all. Our commitment to open-source flexibility, Moodle™ development, and the delivery of secure, enterprise-grade ecosystems remains our top priority. Maura and Willem are joined by our deeply experienced, long-standing global leadership and engineering teams to ensure our core vision and values remain continuous.
Q: Who should I contact if I have further questions?
A: As always, your primary point of contact remains your dedicated Account Manager. They are available to answer any questions and ensure your needs continue to be met seamlessly.
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