New CIOs at Discovery, Rosetta Stone and more

David Kline is joining Discovery Communications as the broadcaster’s new EVP and CIO. As the top

information technology executive at the company, he will report to Mark Hollinger, Discovery’s president of global business and operations. Kline currently serves as SVP and CIO of Cablevision subsidiary Rainbow Media. He’s been working for there since 1998, when he joined as director of information systems.

Previously, Kline worked for Integrated Systems Group as vice president of pre- and post-sales systems engineering and for North Shore Health Systems as manager of data center operations and project director of clinical applications. Kline earned his MBA and B.S. in management and marketing from Long Island University at C.W. Post.

Rosetta Stone, the maker of language learning software, hired Jay Topper as its CIO, which is a

new position for the Arlington, Va.-based company. Topper most recently worked for marketing services company Seven Worldwide as its CIO. There, he

consolidated back office systems and off-shored some software development and IT operations functions.

Prior to Seven Worldwide, Topper was CIO of Production Resource Group, which provides lighting, audio systems and sets for concerts and theatrical productions. From 1986 to 1996, Topper was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Coast Guard. He served as the head of counter-narcotics for Naval Intelligence in the Republic of Panama and commanded his own ship in Gloucester, Mass. Topper holds a bachelor of science degree in mathematics from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn., and a master of telecommunications and information management degree from Brooklyn Polytechnic University in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Topper had a nice statement that was included in the press release announcing his hire. Because it actually said something about his personality and worldview (as opposed to being a generic statement about his new job), I’m including it here: 

As a globalist, I believe language mastery and cultural empathy are the last barriers to create the most meaningful global experience—from the casual tourist up through the largest companies and governments.  Rosetta Stone is a learning solution that addresses both.  I am so fortunate that I can in some small way help promote globalization in this manner.

Robert Carroll started a new job as Education Management‘s SVP and CIO on June 25. He comes to the Pittsburgh, Pa.-based provider of post-secondary education

programs from Western Governor’s University, where he served as its interim CIO. Prior to Western Governor’s U, Carroll was CIO at Apollo Group, the parent company of the University of Phoenix–where he earned his MBA. He also previously worked for Informix Software. In addition to the MBA, Carroll has a bachelor of science degree in computer science from the University of Calif. at Irvine. 

  Gerry McCartney scored the CIO post at Purdue University. He had been serving as the West Lafayett, Ind.-based university’s interim CIO since July 2006. After conducting a national search for a permanent CIO at Purdue, the search committee realized the school had its man all along. McCartney was named official CIO on May 31, 2007.