Dean Sippel, MBA

Dean Sippel serves as President of Trinity Medical Sciences University, bringing more than 30 years of executive leadership experience spanning higher education, healthcare, finance, operations, and organizational growth.

Throughout his career, Sippel has focused on building and transforming education organizations with an emphasis on student outcomes, operational excellence, responsible growth, and long-term institutional sustainability. At Trinity, he leads the University's overall strategy and operations, working in partnership with academic leadership to advance student success, strengthen clinical and institutional partnerships, expand opportunities for aspiring physicians, and position Trinity for its next stage of growth.

Prior to joining Trinity, Sippel served in senior executive leadership roles at Strayer University, including Chief Operations Officer and Senior Vice President of Operations. His responsibilities encompassed major university operations and initiatives across Strayer's national footprint. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, he led the reopening and revitalization of 57 university campuses, helping reposition the physical campus network to better serve students in an increasingly flexible higher-education environment.

Earlier, Sippel served as Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of the Jack Welch Management Institute (JWMI) at Strayer University. He was part of the leadership team that built JWMI from an emerging online MBA program into a nationally recognized graduate business school with more than 10,000 alumni. During his leadership tenure, JWMI achieved increasing national recognition, including reaching No. 4 on The Princeton Review's ranking of Top 50 Online MBA Programs.

Before joining Strayer, Sippel was a co-founder of Kaplan Virtual Education, helping develop and grow an early online education business within Kaplan. His earlier career included executive leadership in healthcare, where he served as a division Chief Financial Officer and gained extensive experience in finance, operations, marketing, mergers and acquisitions, and organizational development.

This combination of healthcare, education, finance, and operating experience shapes Sippel's approach to leading Trinity. He believes medical education must maintain rigorous academic standards while also taking responsibility for the broader success of its students—from admission and academic progression through clinical training, residency placement, and ultimately service as practicing physicians.

As President, Sippel is particularly focused on strengthening student outcomes, expanding high-quality clinical opportunities, developing strategic partnerships, and addressing the growing need for physicians in the United States, Canada, and other communities served by Trinity graduates. He believes accredited international medical schools can play an important role in expanding the physician workforce while maintaining high standards for academic quality and student preparedness.

Sippel earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Westminster College in Missouri and a Master of Business Administration from Saint Louis University.