Yale School of Management - Michela English '79

"Yale SOM was a real turning point in my career. I learned core skills – accounting, finance, marketing, data analysis, economics – but more importantly I learned how to apply them in solving problems, how to work effectively in teams, and how to understand organization dynamics. I also developed a terrific set of friendships with both students and faculty through the intense and exhilarating experience that we all shared there."

As president and chief executive officer of Fight For Children, Michela English is leading a nonprofit organization that works to improve the quality of education for low-income children in Washington, D.C. Fight For Children promotes excellence in urban education by identifying and replicating best-practices in K-12 schools and by expanding access to quality early childhood programs for three and four year olds.

Prior to joining Fight For Children in 2006, Michela worked for eight years at Discovery Communications. As president of Discovery Consumer Products and president and COO of Discovery.com, her responsibilities included Discovery’s nationwide retail chain, global merchandise licensing business, internet, new media, and education businesses. In the 1990’s, Michela served as a member of the National Geographic Society’s Board of Trustees and as a senior vice president, with responsibility for the Society’s book division, Traveler magazine, World magazine for children, educational media, and international publishing. Earlier in her career, she served as an officer at Marriott Corporation and a senior engagement manager at McKinsey and Co.

Michela serves as vice chairman of the board of the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and as a director at the D.C. Public Education Fund; D.C. Preparatory Academy; the Society for the Science and the Public; HeatlhyWomen; and the Gladstone Companies. She also serves on the board of the Corcoran Museum of Art. She has served on the advisory boards of the Yale School of Management and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. She served as chairman of the board of Sweet Briar College from 2000 to 2005.

Michela holds a master of public and private management degree from the Yale School of Management and a bachelor of arts degree from Sweet Briar College. She is married to fellow Yale SOM graduate Rob Quartel '78.