Mumbai, August 18, 2022: Emeritus, the global leader in making world-class professional education accessible and affordable, announced today that Mike Malefakis joined its esteemed team as the President of University Partnerships. Malefakis will leverage his extensive experience in executive education to build and maintain enduring university partnerships that advance the company’s mission to make high-quality education accessible and affordable to individuals, companies, and governments around the world.
Malefakis brings more than 30 years of higher education experience to Emeritus and most recently served as a Senior Advisor at Leeds Illuminate, a women-led growth equity team investing in Education and Workforce Development. Previously, he served as Director at the University Of Chicago Booth School Of Business, an Associate Dean of Executive Education at Columbia Business School, and Associate Vice Dean & CEO of Wharton Executive Education. Malefakis was a director on the board of the International University Consortium for Executive Education (UNICON) for a six-year term as well as serving as board chair, as part of a lifelong commitment to empowering innovation, lifelong learning, and workforce access.
Additionally, he spent six years working in Latin America for higher education and philanthropic organizations. For three and a half years, he led Executive Education at INCAE Business School, located in Costa Rica. Here, he introduced the department’s first custom programs, as well as offerings in Miami and expansion into new markets in Andean countries. Malefakis also worked in micro and small enterprise development programs with CARE International and Catholic Relief Services.
With deep experience working with world-class universities, a unique global footprint reaching learners across 80+ countries, and a proven track record building industry-leading programs that drive both impact for universities and meaningful learner outcomes, Emeritus is uniquely positioned to work hand-in-hand with partners developing innovative new programs that meet the ever-changing needs of today’s executives. At Emeritus, Malefakis will guide a visionary team that has grown its university relationships to build a robust offering of more than 300 learning programs serving 250,000 learners around the world.
“The need for lifelong learning has never been greater as both businesses and individuals are facing increasingly complex and rapidly changing challenges,” said Ashwin Damera, Co-founder and CEO, Emeritus. “Mike shares our vision that universities have a vital role to play in unlocking human potential and empowering the future of work, and he brings extensive first-hand experience so we can better help our university partners solve the unique challenges they face today. We’re thrilled to add his experience to our strong team of university expertise at Emeritus.”
“Emeritus stands apart for its expansive team of higher ed professionals who understand the monumental changes universities are trying to implement, especially given the unprecedented learner demand for hybrid and flexible learning experiences and the growing workforce need for upskilling and reskilling,” said Malefakis. “I’m honored to represent Emeritus and partner with the world’s best universities to align their unparalleled expertise with new opportunities to design and deliver true lifelong learning for learners around the world.”
About Emeritus:
Emeritus offers customised and open programmes in India, Singapore, Dubai and other global locations in collaboration with IIM Lucknow Executive Education, IIM Calcutta Executive Education, ISB Executive Education, Harvard Business School (HBS), MIT Sloan, Columbia Business School, Kellogg Executive Education, Berkeley Executive Education, and Wharton Executive Education, amongst other leading Institutes. Our world-class executive education programmes, supported by eminent programme experts, provide an immersive learning experience integrated with actionable insights and practical business applications. The meticulously curated programmes are delivered in a different range of formats; in-class, online, as well as blended programmes. Our extensive portfolio also includes short 2-4 day in-class workshops, online courses of 2-3 months duration as well as comprehensive learning journeys that run over 6-9 months, customised to an organisation’s requirement. The Emeritus Group has more than 1,400 employees globally and offices in Mumbai, New Delhi, Shanghai, Singapore, Palo Alto, Mexico City, New York, Boston, London, and Dubai. Following its $650 million Series E funding round in August 2021, the company is valued at $3.2 billion, and is backed by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Leeds Illuminate, Prosus Ventures, Sequoia Capital India, Bertelsmann, Accel and SoftBank Vision Fund.
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