Sean Gallagher, Ed.D.

Director @ Huron

About

Dr. Sean Gallagher is a nationally recognized higher education and workforce expert with 25 years of experience as a consultant, senior university administrator, and faculty member. Across his career, Sean's work has focused on strategy, innovation, and the intersection of learning and corporate talent practices. Sean is a frequently invited conference speaker and his analysis has often been featured in leading media outlets such as The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Wall Street Journal, and CBS Television. He is the author of hundreds of articles and research reports, as well as a book, The Future of University Credentials, which was published by Harvard Education Press. Sean has served on advisory boards for several non-profit organizations and NSF-funded research projects, and he has provided invited presentations or testimony to the Massachusetts Legislature, the U.S. Department of Education, and the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy. Prior to joining Huron, Sean worked for 14 years at Northeastern University as a senior administrator and research faculty member. As chief strategy officer for Northeastern’s Global Network, he built a centralized strategy office that worked across colleges to drive growth initiatives including the institution’s geographic expansion strategy and launching its first out-of-state and international campuses. Sean later founded and led the Center for the Future of Higher Education and Talent Strategy. As executive professor of educational policy, he taught and advised doctoral students in Northeastern’s College of Professional Studies. Sean began his career at Eduventures, where he worked for a decade advising executives at hundreds of public and private universities, edtech companies, and investment firms. Sean directed the firm's largest and most profitable business unit and played an instrumental role in the company’s growth by developing and leading many of its research practices. Sean holds a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree from Northeastern University; an M.B.A. from the New York Institute of Technology; and a B.S. in Marketing from Northeastern.

Country

United States

City

Boston

Industry

Higher Education

Skill

Strategic Planning, Higher Education, Leadership, Program Management, Market Research, Research, Entrepreneurship, Public Speaking, Competitive Analysis, Strategy, Marketing Strategy, Team Building

Experience

Director

Huron

2023-9 - Present · 3 yrs 1 mo

Boston, MA

Huron is a market leader in strategy consulting for higher education: my work advising institutions and executives focuses on growth strategy, professional education, digital transformation, and industry and workforce trends.

Part-Time Faculty/Dissertation Chair

Northeastern University

2023-10 - 2025-12 · 2 yrs 3 mos

Executive Director, Center for the Future of Higher Ed & Talent Strategy; and Executive Professor

Northeastern University

2017-1 - 2023-9 · 6 yrs 9 mos

Greater Boston

Built a leading university-based research organization studying digital learning and the intersection of postsecondary education and the world of work, including publishing studies on skills-based hiring and technologies, experiential and online learning models, and microcredentials. Chaired dissertations and taught doctoral courses as Executive Professor of Educational Policy.

Chief Strategy Officer, Northeastern University Global Network

Northeastern University

2009-10 - 2017-1 · 7 yrs 4 mos

Boston, MA

Chief Strategy Officer (2013-2017) Senior Strategist & Market Development Officer (2009-2013) Established and led a central, growth-oriented strategy/R&D function for one of the largest private research universities in the U.S., collaborating with the university's executive leadership and deans to develop and launch innovative new institution-wide and college-specific initiatives - with a focus on new markets, new degree programs, partnerships, and industry/employer relationships. This included conceptualizing, launching, and growing the university's first out-of-state and international campuses in a transformative, industry-engaged expansion effort.

Director

Eduventures

2000-6 - 2009-10 · 9 yrs 5 mos

Boston, MA

Director (2007-2009), Senior Analyst ('03-06) Analyst ('01-03), Research Associate ('00-01) Directed all services and managed a team of 9 professionals in a multi-million dollar business unit serving deans, directors, and provosts at 110 leading colleges and universities; scaled research services and outputs and more than doubled client base, while improving product quality and profit margins: led a team that delivered more than 300 research studies and 150 on-campus strategy sessions. Advised deans, presidents, and other institutional leaders on strategy and growth, organizational redesign, partnerships, marketing, and new program development. Pioneered the use of market research in higher education by creating the nation’s first syndicated online market research service for postsecondary education institutions (2003). Launched and led the company’s groundbreaking coverage of the online higher education market (2002); led the company’s internationally recognized analysis of private investment and M&A activity in the edtech sector.

Principal / Owner

Kranberry Systems

1995-5 - 2000-5 · 5 yrs 1 mo

Boston, MA and Philadelphia, PA

Owned and operated small business: developed web sites and Internet marketing strategies for clients in education, engineering, publishing, and the arts; developed popular commercial imaging and communications software tools