As President and Chief Executive Officer of Primrose Schools, Jo Kirchner is responsible for overseeing strategic direction for the company, managing its vision, brand and business strategies, while guiding new business development to drive growth and profitability for the franchise system and the corporation.  

Kirchner first began her career with Primrose Schools over two decades ago. Working with Primrose founders, Paul and Marcy Erwin, she helped launch the concept of franchising a premier educational environment for preschool children.  In 1990, Kirchner served as Vice President of the company, was promoted to Senior Vice President in 1995 and then became president and CEO in 1999. Under her leadership, Primrose grew from four schools in Atlanta to more than 24 schools in 1998 to 100 schools in 2002.  Today, the brand has more than 212 schools in 15 states.

Kirchner was named to Catalyst magazine’s Top 25 Entrepreneurs in Atlanta in October of 2007.  Because of her leadership, Primrose Schools was named to the Top Atlanta-based franchises by the Atlanta Business Chronicle in 2006. Additionally, Primrose was named Number One in growth by Child Care Business and was featured as the top child care franchise by Entrepreneur magazine in 2003.

Before joining Primrose, Kirchner was the President and Founder of Creative Logistics, an Atlanta-based marketing firm offering strategic planning, advertising and public relations.  She previously served as Vice President and Publisher at two Atlanta-based magazine publishing companies and as a sales executive for Proctor Silex Corporation.

With her lifelong passion to improve early childhood education in America and create access to quality education for all children, Kirchner is on the Accreditation Commission for AdvancED, serves as a board member for the Early Care and Education Consortium and serves on the Board of Directors for Growing Leaders.  She is a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), as well as the International Franchise Association (IFA) and the American Management Association of Sales and Marketing Executives.

Kirchner has always ensured that making a difference in local communities nationwide be a focus at Primrose, both inside and outside of the classrooms.  She founded the Primrose Children’s Foundation, which provides financial support to not-for-profit organizations supporting young children. Since its inception, the Primrose Children’s Foundation has donated more than $750,000 to Ronald McDonald House charities, and has supported children overseas by sending literacy and learning kits to children in Afghanistan, the Philippines and Panama. The Foundation has also actively supported Reach Out and Read, a national nonprofit organization that makes books and reading a part of pediatric care—especially for low income families providing the organization more than $600,000 to Reach Out and Read over the past 4 years. 

Kirchner graduated with an Associate Degree in Marketing from Ohio Career College.  One of her greatest accomplishments has been achieving national brand leadership and financial success for Primrose while maintaining a values-based culture and a strong commitment to work-life balance for all people affiliated with the organization. She has been married for more than 35 years, and places quality time with her family of highest importance. She lives on a horse farm in Dallas, Georgia with her husband Rick and has two grown children and a grandson.