Michael Fenlon, Ph.D.
Michael Fenlon, Ph.D., is an accomplished senior leader with extensive experience in leading talent and workforce strategies tailored for the digital economy. He advises Fortune 500 and higher education leaders on the future of work and learning, leadership and skill development, and digital and workforce transformation.
He recently joined Harvard University to serve as Executive Director of Harvard Online and other major university initiatives that drive innovation and excellence in online, residential and classroom learning through tools and data, technology and platforms, in the Office of the Vice Provost for Advances in Learning (VPAL). He is a Senior Fellow with the Burning Glass Institute, and serves as Co-Chair of the Future of Work Board for the Institute for Corporate Productivity.
Mike has a track record of strategic innovation, inclusive leadership, and delivering sustained human capital and business outcomes in US, global & C-suite leadership roles at PwC, one of the largest professional services firms in the world, comprised of 370,000+ employees across 149 countries with $55.4B+ in network revenue in 2024.
Mike served as Chief People Officer and drove improvements in employee experience and engagement, digital transformation, employee reskilling and leadership development, financial and operational outcomes, diversity and inclusion, and employer brand, with PwC being recognized among top employers, including the Great Place to Work Institute and Fortune magazine, Time Best Companies for Future Leaders, and Linked-In Top Companies.
As the Chief Future of Work Officer, Mike drove initiatives on the impact of AI on workforce strategy, skills and learning, talent management, and led executive leadership development programs. Earlier, as Global Talent Leader, he drove business and people outcomes via network strategies on technology, people processes and experience, learning and development, talent acquisition, and brand.
Prior to joining PwC, Mike was a faculty member on the Columbia Business School executive education team that was ranked by The Financial Times as #1 in the world. As Associate Dean, he led top-ranked executive MBA degree programs in New York, EMBA Global with the London Business School, a partnership EMBA program with UC Berkeley Haas, and he taught a popular course on Executive Leadership.
Mike’s writing and perspectives have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, The Financial Times, Fortune, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and other media. He earned a Ph.D. and three master’s degrees from Columbia University, and serves on the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Foundation board, where he completed his undergraduate education. Mike and his family foster Labrador Retrievers for Guiding Eyes for the Blind, he enjoys running and is a loyal owner of the Green Bay Packers.