Consumer platform and digital media executive to drive growth and strategy for one of the world's largest global online learning destinations
ARLINGTON, Va., May 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- 2U, a global leader in higher education, today announced that Adrian Norman has joined the company as Executive Director of edX, reflecting continued investment in the platform's growth and evolution. In the newly created role, Norman will report directly to CEO Kees Bol as a dedicated leader with full ownership of the edX consumer business — from how learners discover the platform to how they engage, enroll, and keep learning over time.
The appointment comes amid a transformation in online education led by AI, shifting consumer behavior, and surging demand for flexible, career-oriented learning. The World Economic Forum projects that nearly 40% of workers' core skills will shift by 2030, intensifying demand for accessible, trusted reskilling and upskilling — and research from Lumina Foundation and Gallup finds that more than half of unenrolled adults have considered pursuing a degree or credential in the past two years.
Through 2U's partnerships with more than 250 leading universities and organizations worldwide, edX serves a global learner network of more than 100 million people with trusted educational opportunities across every stage of lifelong learning.
"Learners are navigating a fundamentally different education landscape than they were even a few years ago," said Bol. "People are looking for trusted, flexible, career-connected education they can access throughout their lives, while universities are working to reach learners in a rapidly changing environment. edX sits at the intersection of those needs. edX has extraordinary global reach and credibility, and Adrian's experience building modern consumer platforms will help us continue evolving how learners discover and engage with world-class education."
Norman will work across 2U's product, marketing, technology, and partnerships teams to advance the edX platform strategy.
"What drew me to 2U was the strength of the edX platform — the partnerships with leading institutions, the course catalog, the learner community — and the opportunity to do something meaningful with it," said Norman. "I've worked with several AI startups, and what struck me was how fast everything is moving and how many people are trying to figure out how to keep up. edX is one of the few platforms that can actually help with that at real scale, backed by institutions people trust."
Norman brings more than two decades of experience building and scaling digital consumer businesses across media, publishing, retail, and technology. He has held senior leadership roles at The Walt Disney Company, Barnes & Noble, Simon & Schuster, and Dorel Sports, where he led a full digital transformation and built the company's direct-to-consumer channel. His experience spans marketing, e-commerce, product management, and modernizing direct-to-consumer platforms across streaming media, retail, consumer brands, AI startups, and emerging digital businesses.
About 2U
2U partners with the world's top universities and companies to build education programs that accelerate careers and transform lives. Through more than 250 institutional and enterprise partnerships, 2U develops and delivers over 5,300 online programs, reaching more than 100 million people worldwide through edX, 2U's global learning platform. From executive education and professional credentialing to master's degree programs and free, open courses, 2U aligns education with workforce needs, enabling professionals to advance without pausing their careers. Learn more at 2U.com.
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