Emeritus Welcomes Higher Ed Leader Mike Malefakis as President of University Partnerships to Expand and Deepen Strategic Partnerships with World-Class Universities

Malefakis brings decades of innovative leadership across Wharton, Columbia, and University of Chicago

NEW YORK CITY, Aug. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 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, CEO of 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 is committed to teaching the skills of the future by making high-quality education accessible and affordable to individuals, companies, and governments around the world. It does this by collaborating with more than 60 top-tier universities across the United States, Europe, Latin America, Southeast Asia, India, and China. Emeritus' online courses, bootcamps, degree programs, professional certificates, and senior executive programs help individuals learn new skills and transform their lives, companies, and organizations. Its unique model of state-of-the-art technology, curriculum innovation, and hands-on instruction from senior faculty, mentors, and coaches has educated more than 250,000 individuals across 80+ countries. Emeritus was recently awarded the "Online Education Solution of the Year" by 2022 EdTech Breakthrough Awards. Founded in 2015, Emeritus, part of Eruditus Group, has more than 2,000 employees globally and offices in Mumbai, New Delhi, Shanghai, Singapore, Palo Alto, Mexico City, New York, Boston, London, and Dubai. For more information, please visit https://emeritus.org/.

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