Professional Experience

Senior Vice President, Business Development – Higher Education
Territorium | 2023–2025
Led national expansion of AI-powered education solutions through strategic institutional partnerships. Directed U.S. growth strategy focused on student success, career readiness, and digital credentialing. Developed go-to-market initiatives aligned with student analytics, employability, and verifiable credentials.

Associate Vice President – Global Higher Education
ETS (Educational Testing Service) | 2021–2023
Oversaw an extensive global portfolio in graduate and undergraduate higher education with initiatives across the U.S., Latin America, Asia, and Europe. Advanced AI-enabled assessment solutions and built partnerships with academic institutions, funding bodies, and ministries of education. Led executive engagement strategies to support global academic outreach.

Executive Director – Global Higher Education
ETS | 2017–2021
Drove international expansion through alliances with universities and education systems. Led innovation efforts to modernize assessment portfolios in support of skills-based education and workforce needs. Strengthened global partnerships with research institutions and academic consortia.

Senior Director – Business Development, Global Higher Education
ETS | 2012–2017
Launched student learning outcomes assessments adopted by higher education systems and national associations. Expanded institutional partnerships across the U.S. and positioned ETS as a trusted leader in critical thinking, digital literacy, and student success tools.

Academic and Administrative Leadership

Arizona State University | 1998–2012

Chair, School of International Letters and Cultures (2009–2012)
Managed a large academic unit of 300+ faculty and staff, enhanced academic reputation, and launched global engagement initiatives.

Dean Fellow & Senate President, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (2006–2009)
Led faculty governance for the university’s largest college. Oversaw strategic planning, academic policy, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Tenured Professor, Hispanic Studies (1998–2012)
Published over 100 scholarly works in Hispanic literature and cultural studies. Directed graduate dissertations, chaired academic committees, and created international study programs.

Ongoing Consulting & Advisory Engagements

PwC – EdTech Strategist & Senior Consultant
Strategic advisor to institutional clients and PwC teams on innovation, AI integration, and higher education transformation. Offers expertise in assessment frameworks, student success models, and institutional performance.

GLG – Expert Network Consultant
Provides insights to global investors and organizations on higher education markets, academic innovation, and edtech growth opportunities.

Third Bridge Group – Higher Education Specialist
Delivers expert perspectives for investment evaluations related to student recruitment, admissions systems, retention strategies, and digital learning platforms.

Board & Advisory Leadership

Executive Fellow, Russell Belk Centre, Woxsen University (2020–Present)
Board Chair, Kira Talent (2020–2023)
Board Director, ETS India (2020–2023)

Key Areas of Expertise

Higher Education Strategy
EdTech Innovation & Platform Growth
Institutional Partnerships & Global Engagement
Digital Transformation & AI in Education
Workforce Alignment & Skills-Based Learning
Academic Leadership & Policy Engagement
Cross-Sector Strategic Consulting

Education

MBA, Strategic Management – EUDE Business School
Ph.D., Romance Languages and Literatures – University of Georgia
M.A., Spanish & Latin American Literatures – University of Georgia
B.A., Hispanic Philology – University of Barcelona
Master’s in AI Applied to Business – EUNCET Business School

Languages

Native: Spanish
Fluent: English, Portuguese, Catalan
Reading Proficiency: French, Italian

Selected Publications

AI for Our Planet: How Artificial Intelligence Can Solve Global Challenges (Bentham Books, 2025)
New Directions: Assessment and Preparation of Hispanic College Students (Bilingual Press, 2018)
Moving Forward: Policies, Planning, and Promoting Access of Hispanic College Students (Bilingual Press, 2018)

For my full list of scholarly publications visit the Research page.

Selected References

The following testimonials are excerpts from public recommendations on my LinkedIn profile.

“Alberto has proven contributions in the realm of higher education. Having had the pleasure of interacting with him, I am continually impressed by his unwavering dedication to fostering a collaborative and team-oriented environment. Alberto possesses a unique ability to seamlessly integrate into diverse teams, bringing forth a wealth of knowledge and expertise that significantly enriches the academic experience. His reliability is truly commendable – a dependable resource one can consistently rely on his word and commitment to partnerships. In addition to his remarkable work ethic, Alberto consistently demonstrates a keen understanding of the ever-evolving landscape of higher education. His adaptability and innovative thinking contribute significantly to overcoming challenges and driving positive change within the academic community.”
— George Haddad, CEO, Liaison International

“Alberto Acereda´s expertise in global higher education, strategic planning and implementation, and leadership is unquestionable. I am most impressed with his creative and analytic approaches to problem solving. He is an extremely thoughtful, considerate and compassionate individual. He is a man of impeccable character and integrity. What I find most delightful is his quick wit and good sense of humor. He is genuine, smart, and fair. He is the whole package!”
— Carlos Grijalva, Dean and Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of California, Los Angeles

“Alberto Acereda brings to ETS’s efforts an extraordinary combination of knowledge and experience in the world of education. Few colleagues possess his sense of how innovation is unfolding in the wider world or his avid imparting of that wisdom to the rest of us. In addition to these highly valuable contributions of connections and competence on such critical subjects as distance education and competency based credentialing, Alberto is a gracious and kind colleague whom I feel very lucky to have met in just the last few years. Any Chief Learning Officer would consider him or herself very lucky to have a colleague like Alberto; I know I do.”
— T.J. Elliott, Chief Learning Officer and Vice President, ETS

“As Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Arizona State University I was consistently impressed by Dr. Acereda. In every circumstance, including leading a particularly complex and difficult faculty process for the College, he demonstrated the highest levels of competence, planning, communication, professionalism, and natural leadership skills. He acts with great integrity and very special interpersonal skill. Given the opportunity, I would welcome the chance to work again with Dr. Acereda under any circumstance. I can recommend him highly as a reliable and inspiring colleague who is an absolute pleasure to work with.”
— Quentin Wheeler, President, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

“Alberto was a valued and proven partner to the Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education for the years that I served there. He brought great insights personally as well as his incredible network to help us address challenges and opportunities. His engagement benefitted me personally and professionally every day!”
— Peter Garland, Executive Vice Chancellor Emeritus, Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education

“I have worked with Alberto for several years. He has impressed me in many ways, but the most notable are (a) his ability to hear significant criticism, identify what is reasonable and what isn’t, and respond effectively to what is reasonable, (b) his ability to think creatively and comprehensively about the future of the organization by building on its existing strengths, identifying opportunities for growth, and by de-emphasizing or eliminating areas that have outlived their usefulness, and (c) his appreciation for a diversity of opinions and his understanding that social, cultural, racial, ethnic, religious, and other forms of diversity are important not to check a box, but because the different backgrounds and experiences that people bring help any organization to serve its constituency more effectively.”
— Kent Holsinger, Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate School, University of Connecticut

“Having stepped into his current position at a time of dramatic change, Alberto has demonstrated remarkable creativity and agility in responding to rapidly changing market conditions. He listens carefully to both potential customers and his colleagues, has a good idea for emerging opportunities and also has the discipline and good sense to know that all of those opportunities are not worth pursuing – at least not at the same time. Collaborative, collegial, all with intelligence and humor. Can’t imagine a person I would more like to have to help me negotiate the way from point A to point B.”
— Suzanne Ortega, President, Council of Graduate Schools

“A standout leader is what comes to mind when I think of Alberto Acereda. Alberto promotes innovation, fearlessly embraces change, and manages to achieve remarkable results while honoring his staff’s humanity. A witty conversationalist, his ability to partner effectively with clients in academia, government or business make him a triple threat!! He is an effective leader versed in subject matter expertise alongside a commitment to inspire those he leads.”
— Yvette Donado, CEO, Diversity & Inclusion Strategists, LLC