“I am thrilled to welcome Michael to the organization. With his deep industry experience in driving wide-scale growth and transformation across the higher education sector, he will add tremendous value in enriching academic programs and helping Walden achieve its full growth potential,” said Steve Beard, president and CEO of Adtalem.
Most recently, Betz served as a partner at McKinsey & Co. and was a leader in McKinsey’s higher education and growth transformation practices. Betz played a key role in growing McKinsey’s education practice and specialized in leading large scale transformation programs. Prior to McKinsey, Betz served in various leadership roles in higher education for 15 years. His previous work includes serving as senior vice president and chief marketing officer and head of strategy at Strayer University, where he led global marketing strategy and operations. He also served as the chief marketing officer of Pansophic Education and led its global marketing and growth strategies for three portfolio companies. Prior to that role, he served as the senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Ellucian, a leading SaaS higher education company.
“I am excited to join Adtalem and for the opportunity to lead Walden University during a pivotal time for higher education,” said Michael Betz, president, Walden University. “As we think about the future of education – the needs of students and employers — I am eager to continue to expand access to equitable education and drive value for our students, partners and stakeholders.”
Betz earned his master’s degrees in business administration and public affairs from the University of Texas and his Bachelor of Science in foreign services from Georgetown University.