Michelle Westfort, Chief Strategy and Solutions Officer, brings over 20 years of expertise in higher education programs and partnerships. In her current role, she addresses partners’ talent challenges, overseeing Workforce Solutions, Academic Partner Success, Professional Services, Strategic Partnerships and Corporate and Program Strategy, while supporting InStride’s prestigious global network of top-tier academic partners.
Before joining InStride in 2019, Michelle was the VP of Business Development at The Learning House (acquired by Wiley), driving growth and innovation in online education through strategic higher education partnerships. She has also held key leadership roles at Pivot Worldwide, fostering global workforce development opportunities, and Navitas, where she significantly increased enrollments at U.S. public universities from major international markets.
Michelle began her career at The Art Institutes, where she led teams in recruitment, business development, marketing, and admissions, promoting creative learning through high school and corporate partnerships. At Snelling Search, she was instrumental in creating the first online platform for recent college graduates in finance. The Exceptional Women Alliance (EWA) invited Michelle to join a distinguished group of women leaders making significant strides in their respective fields. She also serves on various advisory and non-profit boards and committees as an education and programming content expert.
Michelle’s educational journey, supported by employer-funded programs, showcases the transformative power of such investments. Holding an Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership from Argosy University, an M.A. in School Counseling Psychology from New Jersey City University, and a B.A. in Psychology from Monmouth University. She has also completed executive education programs in Leadership, AI Business Transformation, and Global Management and Design Thinking at Harvard Business School, INSEAD, and Wharton.