Michael McDonald

Product Management & Operations Leader | Business Strategy | Learning & Development | Education Technology | People Focused | Data Driven

New York City Metropolitan Area

About

My professional background includes over 15 years in product management and operations roles at Wiley and Pearson Education. My best days at work have always focused on trying to help students achieve their full potential through purposeful development of learning materials. In recent years, my focus and passion has shifted to issues of equity and access in the education and professional learning ecosystem. I have deep experience leading cross functional teams via direct management and by exercising strong, positive influence without authority. Solving complex problems and helping team members be successful motivates me. I enjoy challenging the status quo and putting the customer at the center of everything my teams do. I am a lifelong learner, having completed certificate courses in data analytics, artificial intelligence & machine learning, diversity & inclusion, strategic management, user experience design, and I just completed a Master's degree in Instructional Design.

Experience

  • Director of Product Strategy & Acquisitions at Goodheart-Willcox
    Apr 2025 - Present · 1 yr 4 mos

  • Product Lead at Cambiar Education
    Jul 2023 - Apr 2025 · 1 yr 10 mos

    Product Management Lead for Run the Future, a joint social venture between Cambiar Education and Formation Ventures that offers identity-affirming and highly engaging online and self-paced entrepreneurial learning experiences focused on BIPOC youth and young adults.

  • Strategy Consultant at Wise That
    Mar 2023 - Jul 2023 · 5 mos

    Providing product and operations strategy and project management support for early-stage ed tech startup.

  • Career transition at Career Break
    Oct 2022 - Mar 2023 · 6 mos

    Used time to complete Master's degree in Instructional Design while conducting research on connections between experiential learning and workplace skills development.

  • Vice President Product Management at Wiley
    Mar 2018 - Oct 2022 · 4 yrs 8 mos

    I manage the higher education and skills education product management and market development teams for the Business Education and Careers vertical in Wiley's Academic and Professional Learning division.