Title: Chief Product and Service Officer
Company: Springboard Collaborative
Location: Parkton, Maryland, United States
Shelly Shires, EdD, Chief Product and Service Officer at Springboard Collaborative, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Educators for dedication, achievements, and leadership in Education.
Dr. Shires has established a distinguished career in product and service strategy, currently serving as the chief product and service officer at Springboard Collaborative since 2023. In this role, she is responsible for setting up comprehensive product and service strategies, conducting market and competitive analyses, and managing resources to execute strategic road maps. Dr. Shires’s leadership has been instrumental in hiring and developing teams, investing in portfolio management, and ensuring the successful execution of products.
Based in Philadelphia, Springboard Collaborative addresses the literacy gap by closing the gap between home and school. As such, the organization offers a program that coaches educators and family members on how to help kids learn to read on grade level by 4th grade. Relying on the Family-Educator Learning Accelerators method, they comprise five- to 10-week cycles during which families and educators team up to help kids reach learning goals.
Before her contributions to Springboard Collaborative, Dr. Shires was the senior vice president of product and technology at Pearson from 2019 to 2023. During her tenure, she contributed significantly to developing educational products, most notably creating a comprehensive learning experience for adult students studying English as a second language. This initiative included the development of 20 different levels of ESL courses, innovative instructional videos, and a blend of in-person and digital classroom experiences. Dr. Shires’s efforts led to the establishment of an online community and a new retail footprint for the school.
From 2017 to 2019, Dr. Shires served as the senior director of delivery at Shutterstock, where she honed her skills in managing large-scale projects and delivering high-quality digital content. Before that, Pearson recruited her for the first time as the organization’s vice president of transformation and strategy between 2014 and 2017. During this period, Dr. Shires’s strategic vision was pivotal in driving organizational change and enhancing product offerings.
Dr. Shires’ career also included her role as the executive director of global product development at Wall Street Institute, a premier provider of English language instruction, from 2007 to 2013. Here, she oversaw creating and implementing global educational products that reached diverse audiences worldwide. Additionally, Dr. Shires worked as a project management consultant as the owner of Shires Group Consulting between 2003 and 2009, where she provided expert guidance on project management practices for clients.
Among her early successes, Dr. Shires excelled as an assistant director of project management at Baltimore County Public Library from 2001 to 2007. She also served as a supervisor of analysis for national statistics at Bally Total Fitness between 1995 and 2001.
Dr. Shires’ academic achievements include a Bachelor of Arts in geography and environmental systems from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, in 2001. Subsequently, she garnered a Master of Science in management information systems on campus in 2007 and a Doctor of Education in curriculum and instruction from Liberty University in 2024. In addition to her formal education, Dr. Shires has held a project management professional certification from the Project Management Institute since 2004. Her commitment to lifelong learning has been a driving force behind her success.
In recognition of her contributions to technology and education, Dr. Shires has received numerous accolades, including being named one of the Top 50 CTOs by Women We Admire in 2024 and one of the Top CTOs by Products That Count that same year. She also received the Best Digital Education Series Impact Award from the Internet Marketing Association and was recognized as a Top 10 Edtech Visionary Leader by Time Iconic.
Dr. Shires attributes her success to a strong work ethic. Looking ahead, she plans to leverage her extensive experience by starting her own consulting business. This endeavor would allow her to partner with parents and enhance their children’s education while continuing her passion for parenting coaching.
For more information, please visit:
Contact Dr. Shires:
