David Tietjen joins Knod as Director of Talent Engagement

Knod, a talent development system that eliminates the gap between learners and employers through project-based learning, today announced it has hired industry veteran David Tietjen as director of talent engagement.

In his new role, Tietjen will work to engage employers and educational institutions in order to secure strategic partners in the technology, talent development and cause-based spaces. David will also be in charge of developing a pool of candidates that will be transformed through Knod’s unique workforce preparation model to become some of the most highly sought-after talent on the job market.

Prior to joining Knod, Tietjen served as vice president of business development with Alpine Technical Services, and has served as president of Argosy University, vice president at ViaWest and Merit Medical Systems, and held marketing positions with MarketStar and Northrop Grumman. His unique experience in both business development and private education will be beneficial in building out Knod’s community of learners and employee partners.

“David’s expertise in opening up new channels for development will drastically increase Knod’s abilities to attract the attention of employers struggling to find top talent and students looking for a better way to prepare for a career,” said Luisa Tristán, managing director of stakeholder engagement at Knod. “He will be a boon to us as we work to empower employers to create the talent they need, and individuals to take advantage of Knod’s tools and worldwide partnerships to make them workforce-ready.”

In addition, Knod has established a new Career Advisory Board, which will lend expertise to ensure Knod learners are on a smarter path to employment, as well as relationships with many employers, partnering with them to provide projects for learning in real environments.

“It’s amazing how many students in college are unsure of what they will be able to do, and how many employers aren’t able to hire employees that are a good fit for their company,” Tietjen said. “Knod solves both of these issues by really getting to the fundamental problem – that workforce preparation needs to be focused on the soft skills like collaboration, problem solving and communication that matter most in a job setting.”